MPhil Program

Course Credit:

This is an evaluation course with no specific teaching assigned to it. Viva-voce will be carried out to assess acquisition of learning from the theory courses. The students will face an interview board comprised of the designated examination committee for the specific session.

Course Credit: 4

CPSY 601 A. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Problems

Theory: 50 Marks

Course Objective

This course aims to teach the students on child and adolescents mental health issues, role of clinical psychologists in understanding, assessing and managing those issues applying psychological theories and principles.

Instructional Strategies

Participatory Lecture (30)

Group Discussion/ Problem solving (infused into the lecture classes)

Assignment (1-2) 

Assessment Methods

Final Examination - 60 marks (examination after completion of teaching period) 

Course Content and class distribution

Note: *Per class 90 minutes; **PL= Participatory lecture

CPSY 601 B. Advanced Clinical Health Psychology

Theory: 50 Marks

Course Objective

The students will gather knowledge on the ways clinical psychologists can contribute in medical settings by providing psychological services to medically ill and distressed people incorporating psychological principles in health management.

Instructional Strategies

Participatory Lecture (30)

Group Discussion/ Problem solving (infused into the lecture classes)

Assignment (1-2) 

Assessment Methods

Final Examination - 60 marks (examination after completion of teaching period) 

Course Content and class distribution

Note: *Each class 90 minutes; **PL= Participatory lecture

Course Credit: 4

CPSY 602 A. Issues Related to Practice in Clinical Psychology

Theory: 50 Marks

Course Objective

This course will orient students with different aspects related to professional practice in clinical psychology. With intensive training, placement activities, supervision, case presentation and report writing focused on child mental health problems, the students will achieve further enhancement of their clinical skills learned in the Year 1 (MS) of clinical psychology training program. This is a practical competency-based course with content continued to spread beyond Year-I of MPhil.

Specific Objectives

This course aims to help the students learn

1. Strategies for implementing clinical practice to wider perspective
2. Clinical Skills specifically relevant in dealing with child and adolescent mental health problems
3. Supervisory skills and to use supervision effectively
4. Nature and impact of ethical aspects in wider range of professional role and practice
5. Advanced practical issues in clinical psychology
6. Different models of supervision and their use
7. Ethical principles and their application in decision making in clinical and professional context. 

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the students will be able to

1. Identify different needs arising from psychological problems among children and adolescents
2. Use wide range of assessment techniques and instruments in understand children and adolescents with mental health needs
3. Formulate mental health problems with a wider multifactorial approach.
4. Use most suitable intervention to help children and adolescents with mental health needs
5. Appreciate the different models of supervision
6. Declare and defend ethical position in aspects of conflicting interests. 

Instructional Strategies

Training

Child Clinical skills training

Training on Advanced clinical issues

Practice

Child Clinical Placement at psychiatry and clinical psychology service setup

Supervision

Receive individual group clinical supervision from designated professionals

Other

Case presentation and discussion

Assignment 

Assessment Methods

Final Examination - 50 marks (examination after completion of teaching period) 

Case report (Three case reports following the prescribed guideline see Appendix 7).

Clinical log (Detailed log of clinical activities in the prescribed guideline see Appendix 2).

Placement completion report

Course Activities

1. Training. 

• Clinical skills training on child and adolescent mental health
• Training on Advanced clinical issues

This will include trainings on contemporary and contextually relevant topics related to clinical practice, intervention and professional development. This may include but not limited to writing referral letter, Ethical decision making in clinical and research context, organizing public and professional programs, etc.

2. Practice.

General mental health placement with special focus on child and adolescent mental health.

• The full age ranges from childhood to 65 years
• At least one case should be seen in each of the following categories (which are not mutually exclusive)

• self-harm
• sexual dysfunction or deviation
• personality disorder
• marital or relationship
• interpersonal or social skills
• eating or weight
• childhood autism or psychosis
• childhood conduct disorder
• learning disability, child
• learning disability, adult
• brain injury
• a health problem (e. g. asthma, chronic illness)

• The following techniques should have been used

• interviews
• direct observation or functional analysis
• psychometric assessment
• behavioural or cognitive-behavioural approach
• a cognitive approach
• a family or systemic approach, child
• a family or systemic approach, adult
• one other psychotherapeutic approach.

• Other Requirements

• Satisfactory case load
• Careful record keeping (clinical record, supervision record)
• Professional behaviour/conduct
• Satisfactory placement report

3. Supervision

Individual group clinical supervision from designated professionals. All works carried out at the placement must be supervised by the clinical supervisor designated by the department. Two forms of supervision are offered by the department which are as follows

• Individual supervision: One to one discussion on clinical work carried out by the student. Such discussion will include reporting of works carried out, discussing difficulties and solutions, deciding next plan of action, finding out scope for improvement, and any other professional issues that warrant a discussion.
• Group supervision: Discussion on clinical work carried out by the students in a group of peers led by the designated group supervisor. The focus of discussion may include, overview of clinical work, professional issues, general therapeutic principles and strategies, common difficulties, group development and other pertinent issues raised by the students

Complete records of clinical activities must be submitted according to the prescribed formats (see Appendix 1 & Appendix 2)

4. Case Presentation

Students will present clinical cases through which they will demonstrate

• Skill of case presentation
• Conceptualization of case
• Awareness and understanding of relevant clinical and professional issues
• Receive support from professional colleagues

Students shall regularly attend clinical meetings at the department to master the skills of case presentation by giving presentations themselves and observing others doing so.

CPSY 602 B. Advanced Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

Theory: 50 Marks

Course Objective

The students will gather knowledge and skills on advanced issues related to research in clinical psychology. They will be able to understand and use these knowledge and skills in critically evaluate research and designing their own research. 

Specific Objectives

This course aims to help the students learn

1. the underlying principles of research and designs
2. The spectrum of research in clinical psychology
3. Conceptualize research paradigm and their influence in research design
4. Use of single case experimental design
5. Incorporation of different type of single case designs in clinical practice to generate knowledge
6. different approaches of qualitative research and their use in clinical psychology
7. Application of naturalistic case study design in clinical psychology
8. Procedures involved in analysing qualitative data.
9. Advanced quantitative data analysis
10. Proses involved in critical analysis of research article
11. Planning and conduction of research as well as dissemination and writing of research report.

Instructional Strategies

Participatory Lecture (30)

Group Discussion/ Problem solving (infused into the lecture classes)

Assignment (1-2)

Hands on training

Assessment Methods

Final Examination - 50 marks (examination after completion of teaching period) 

Research critique – Non-credit(see Appendix - 11, Section D)

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the students will be able to

1. comprehend the spectrum of research and position their own research in the spectrum
2. appreciate the role of different paradigms and their influence in research design
3. apply single case research design in their clinical work
4. appreciate different qualitative designs and choose appropriate design for their own research
5. appreciate and use advanced data analysis strategy
6. design and conduct rigorous research in clinical psychology
7. write and disseminate research findings for a wider audience 
8. critically analyse research article

Course Content and Class Distribution

Note: *Per class 90 minutes; **PL=Participatory lecture; **AS= Assignment

Course Credit:

CPSY 603Clinical Psychology in Wider Context

Theory: Non-credit

Course Objective

This course will orient students with different aspects related to professional practice in clinical psychology. With intensive placement activities, supervision, case presentation and report writing focused on child mental health problems, the students will enhance their clinical skills learned in the Year 1 (MS) of clinical psychology training program.

Specific Objectives

This course aims to help students acquire

1. understanding of the route to become professional clinical psychologist
2. understanding of their role in health system and mental health service delivery
3. knowledge on ethical aspects in professional practice as clinical psychologist
4. understanding of the ways to ensure professional growth

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the students will be able to

1. appreciate the need for understanding and adherence to the professional standards
2. appreciate their role in health system and mental health service delivery
3. identify professional issues that require special attention for effective practice and professional growth
4. appreciate the need for self-care
5. communicate effectively in multidisciplinary team
6. practice in an ethical manner
7. comprehend need for the continuing professional development

Course Content and Class Distribution

Note: *Per class 90 minutes;

Course Credit:

Thesis

(Mandatory Requirement)

As a mandatory requirement for the MPhil in Clinical Psychology, each student will have to conduct a research in his or her chosen area to link the theoretical aspects of research in the practical field. The student has to prepare a thesis in consultation with his/her research supervisor and submit it to the Department. Thesis should be prepared and submitted according to the guideline prescribed by the department (see Appendix 10).

Required activities

1. Research Proposal (see Appendix 9)
2. Preliminary presentation
3. Progress report (every six-month; see Appendix 12a)
4. Acquire ethics approval for the research
5. Research conduction
6. Final Presentation
7. Thesis preparation and submission (see Appendix 10)

Course Credit:

Specialist Placement

(Mandatory Requirement)

The student must choose an area of specialization and complete necessary training and placement on that specific area. The area may include but are not limited to neuropsychology, family therapy, addition, geriatric, palliative care, and community psychology. Based on choice, the students will submit a brief one-page proposal on specialist placement before starting on placement.

The student will work with cases on the specialized area for a minimum of five months. At the end of the placement, the student has to submit a specialist placement report.

Required activities

1. Specialist placement proposal 
2. Satisfactory placement completion
3. Specialist placement report