Competencies and objectives
Course context for academic year 2025-26
The Psychiatry course aims to study, prevent, diagnose, and treat various mental illnesses and disorders.
The course prepares students to conduct a comprehensive psychiatric assessment, appropriately manage psychiatric patients, accurately write clinical histories, and use the therapeutic tools required for each illness or disorder.
After acquiring basic psychiatric knowledge to perform anamnesis and psychopathological assessment, students will address the practical aspects of different mental disorders.
In addition, the course effectively enhances the student’s ability to recognize and manage suicide risk situations, as well as agitated or violent patients.
Through this course, students are expected to be able to carry out a complete psychiatric examination and make an appropriate psychiatric diagnosis in order to initiate the proper treatment.
Course competencies (verified by ANECA in official undergraduate and Master’s degrees) for academic year 2025-26
UA Basic Transversal Competences
- CT1 : To read and understand texts in English.
- CT2 : Show computer and information system skills and abilities.
- CT3 : Show oral and written communication skills.
General Competences
- CG1 : Identify the essential elements of the medical profession, including ethical principles, legal responsibilities, and patient-centered professional practice.
- CG10 : Understand and identify the causative agents and risk factors that induce the states of health and the development of the disease.
- CG11 : Understand and identify the effects of growth, development and aging on the individual and their social environment.
- CG12 : Understand the foundations of action, indications and efficacy of therapeutic interventions based on the available scientific evidence.
- CG13 : Take and record a clinical history containing all relevant information.
- CG14 : Perform a physical exam and mental assessment.
- CG15 : Ability to develop an initial diagnostic judgment and establish a reasoned diagnostic strategy.
- CG16 : Recognize and treat situations that put life in immediate danger and those that require immediate attention.
- CG17 : Determine the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, applying the principles based on the best possible information and in safe clinical conditions.
- CG18 : Prescribe the most appropriate therapy for the most prevalent acute and chronic processes, as well as for terminally ill patients.
- CG19 : Devise and propose the preventive measures appropriate to each clinical situation.
- CG2 : Understand the importance of such principles for the benefit of the patient, society and the profession, with special attention to professional secrecy.
- CG20 : Acquire adequate clinical experience under supervision, in hospitals, health centers or other health institutions, as well as basic knowledge of patient-centered clinical management and proper use of tests, medications and other health system resources.
- CG21 : Listen mindfully, obtaining and integrating relevant information about the problems that afflict the patient, and understand the content of this information.
- CG22 : To draft medical histories and other medical records in a comprehensible fashion.
- CG23 : Communicate effectively and clearly, both orally and in writing, with patients, family members, the media, and other professionals.
- CG24 : Establish good interpersonal communication skills that enable to address patients, family members, the media, and other professionals with efficiency and empathy.
- CG25 : Identify the determinants for health in the population: genetic; sex and lifestyle dependent; demographic, environmental, social, economic, psychological and cultural.
- CG26 : Assume their role in actions to prevent and protect against illnesses, injuries or accidents, and in the maintenance and promotion of health, both at the individual and community level.
- CG27 : Know their role in multiprofessional teams, assuming leadership when appropriate, both for the provision of health care and in interventions for health promotion.
- CG28 : Obtain and use epidemiological data and assess trends and risks for health decision-making.
- CG29 : Know the national and international health organizations and the environments and constraints of the different health systems.
- CG3 : Know how to apply the principle of social justice to professional practice and understand the ethical implications of health in a changing world context.
- CG30 : Basic knowledge of the National Health System and health legislation.
- CG31 : Know, critically assess and know how to use clinical and biomedical information sources to obtain, organize, interpret and communicate scientific and health information.
- CG32 : Know how to use information and communication technologies in clinical, therapeutic, preventive and research activities.
- CG33 : Keep and use patient information records for subsequent analysis, preserving the confidentiality of the data.
- CG34 : Adopt a critical, creative, constructively sceptical and research-oriented standpoint in professional practice. in professional practice in professional practicein professional practice
- CG35 : Understand the importance and limitations of scientific thought in the study, prevention and management of diseases.
- CG36 : Be able to formulate hypotheses, collect and critically assess information for problem solving, following the scientific method.
- CG37 : Acquire basic training for research activity.
- CG4 : Develop professional practice with respect for the autonomy of the patient, their beliefs and culture.
- CG5 : Acknowledge their own limitations and the need to maintain and update their professional competence, with special emphasis on the autonomous learning of new knowledge and techniques and the motivation for quality.
- CG6 : Develop professional practice with respect to other health professionals, acquiring teamwork skills.
- CG8 : Identify the foundations of normal human behavior and its alterations.
- CG9 : Understand and recognize the effects, mechanisms and manifestations of the disease on the structure and function of the human body.
Specific competences:>>Module III: Human clinical training
- CE3.21 : Recognize, diagnose and guide the management of psychiatric disorders. Know the main lines in psychotherapy. Recognize, diagnose and guide the management of the main poisonings.
- CE3.25 : Recognize, diagnose and guide the management of life-threatening situations.
- CE3.26 : Knowing how to make a complete anamnesis, centered on the patient and oriented to the various pathologies, interpreting their meaning.
- CE3.27 : Knowing how to perform a physical examination of the different bodily apparatuses and systems, as well as a psychopathological examination, interpreting their meaning.
- CE3.30 : Design and apply an action plan, focused on the needs of the patient and the family and social environment, consistent with the symptoms and signs of the patient.
Specific competences:>>Module IV: Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
- CE4.01 : Assess the risk/benefit ratio of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
- CE4.29 : Correctly draft medical prescriptions, adapted to the situation of each patient and legal requirements.
Learning outcomes (Training objectives)
- Knowing how to carry out a complete anamnesis, centred on the patient and oriented towards psychopathological exploration, interpreting its meaning. Acquire skills for the management of psychiatric patients.
- Be able to take a clinical history oriented towards the diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder.
- Know the fundamental principles of the different psychiatric treatment modalities.
- Know the fundamental principles of the different forms of psychotherapy.
- Recognise and know how to manage situations of suicide risk and those requiring immediate attention, such as agitated or violent patients.
- Apply relevant psychiatric knowledge and techniques to clinical work in order to improve professional practice.
- Know how to make a differential diagnosis of mental disorders, ruling out organicity.
- Know how to handle the main psychotropic drugs and the indications of the main psychotherapies.
- Acquire basic notions in the management of the most frequent psychiatric emergencies.
- To become familiar with the mental health care system.
Specific objectives stated by the academic staff for academic year 2025-26
- Recognize the main psychiatric signs and symptoms through an appropriate clinical interview, including mental status examination.
- Identify and classify the most prevalent mental disorders according to international diagnostic criteria.
- Apply the fundamentals of psychopathology and psychiatric semiology to formulate accurate diagnostic hypotheses.
- Integrate neurobiological, psychological, and social knowledge in understanding the origin and progression of mental disorders.
- Develop basic skills in therapeutic communication and doctor-patient relationships adapted to the mental health context.
- Design a diagnostic and therapeutic plan for the treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders.
- Recognize psychiatric emergencies and apply initial clinical containment measures.
- Understand the principles of clinical psychopharmacology through knowledge of the main groups of drugs used in psychiatry.
- Describe the foundations and utility of the main psychotherapies used in clinical practice, as well as their integration with pharmacological treatment.
- Promote an empathetic, non-stigmatizing, and patient-centered attitude, understanding the biopsychosocial impact of mental illnesses.
- Evaluate ethical and legal principles in psychiatric care, including patient decision-making capacity and the management of involuntary admission.
- Encourage the importance of multidisciplinary work in the approach to psychiatric disorders and psychosocial rehabilitation.
General
Code:
27230
Lecturer responsible:
Albaladejo Blázquez, Natalia
Credits ECTS:
6,00
Theoretical credits:
1,20
Practical credits:
1,20
Distance-base hours:
3,60
Departments involved
-
Dept:
PSYCHOLOGY OF HEALTH
Area: PERSONALITAT, AVALUACIO I TRACTAMENT PSICOLOGIC
Theoretical credits: 1,2
Practical credits: 1,2
This Dept. is responsible for the course.
This Dept. is responsible for the final mark record.
Study programmes where this course is taught
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DEGREE IN MEDICINE
Course type: COMPULSORY (Year: 3)