Mental Health: Cultural Psychology and Psychiatry MSc

Queen Mary University of London

This MSc will give you a sophisticated understanding of the impact of socio-cultural factors in mental health, and mental health care. You’ll understand the cultural contexts of mental health problems, learn about the innovative ways care is delivered cross-culturally and gain experience of working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

• Develop a critical insight into the role of culture in mental health as well as psychological and psychiatric practice, enhancing both your clinical and research skills.
• Gain a global perspective on mental health so you can work with culturally diverse populations in multiple settings
• Take a supervised placement in a clinical setting or mental health organisation
• Gain a comprehensive training in research methods and writing
• Learn from leading experts in the field

This programme is designed to improve your understanding of the impact of socio-cultural factors on mental health, mental illness and mental health care disciplines and delivery. It will enable you to work in a research or mental health care role in a multicultural setting both here in the UK and abroad as well as put you in a position to pursue further training to qualify as a therapist, social worker or clinical psychologist.

You will examine how cultural factors such as belief systems, values, ethnicity, practices and traditions can affect an individual’s mental health risk – and their resilience. You’ll also look at how migration, race and other cultural phenomena intersect to create mental health challenges and how these can be addressed in direct clinical practice and mental health care systems through the implementation of innovative therapies as well as the adaptation of current psychological approaches and care pathways.

You’ll organise and complete a supervised placement with a mental health service or organisation that provides support to a diverse range of people (eg the NHS, a third sector organisation or a global mental health and development agency). Clinical placements will give you experience of supervised practice and will develop your ability to work with emotional, behavioural and psychological distress within and across different cultural contexts. An organisational/policy focused placement will give you the opportunity to observe and engage in the cultural processes that shape how mental health services are structured and delivered.

In addition, you’ll develop your research skills and complete a research project.

Please note this programme does not equip you to be registered as a psychotherapist in the UK, for which you must pursue additional advanced training.

Mental Health: Cultural Psychology and Psychiatry is available to study full-time or part-time on campus or online, and can also be studied as a postgraduate certificate or diploma.