University of Toronto - The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness 

Welcome to the course!

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Visiting the asylum

1.2 Why the asylum?

1.3 20th century mental health care

1.4 Antipsychiatry

1.5 Deinstitutionalization

1.6 Community-based mental health care

1.7 Recovery and mental health

1.8 Conclusion

Bonus material: An introduction to author Caroline Fei-Yeng Kwok

Course Information

Readings and Resources

What is mental health and what causes mental illness?

2.0 introduction to lecture 2

2.1 defining mental health

2.2 what is mental illness?

2.3 social determinants of mental health

2.4 SDoH in action

2.5 the biopsychosocial perspective on mental health

2.6 applying the biopsychosocial perspective

2.7 Conclusion

Readings and Resources

The social context of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses

3.0 Introduction to lecture 3

3.1 Demystifying the DSM

3.2 Diagnosis as a series of social events

3.3 Diagnosis: An example of the role of social context

3.4a The social context of treatment options

3.4b The social context of treatment options part 2

3.5 The social context of treatment access

3.6 Conclusion

From summer 2014: what's with the DSM?

Readings and Resources

Extra-credit quiz

Culture, mental health and mental illness

4.0 introduction to lecture 4

4.1 culture mental health mental illness

4.2 culture & mental health in historical context

4.3 culture and mental health

4.4 culture and mental illness

4.5 an example of intersections between culture and mental health

4.6 cultural competence and multicultural mental health care

4.7 Conclusions

Readings and Resources

Families, caregiving and mental illness

5.0 introduction to lecture 5

5.1 families and mental health

5.2 do families cause mental illness - no

5.3 families and caregiving

5.4 families and recovery

5.5 conclusions

Readings and Resources

society, communities and mental health

6.0 introduction to lecture 6

6.1 stigma and mental illness

6.2a a life course approach to preventing mental disorders part 1

6.2b a life course approach to preventing mental disorders part 2

6.3 interventions to promote community mental health

6.4 towards community that support mental health

6.5 conclusions

Readings and Resources