Adolescent Mental Health Course

• Online or E-learning Course.  Pay by instalments.
• Learn about the psychological changes and developments that take place during the teenage years | Behaviours | How Teens Think | Emotional challenges | Life crises | Development | Crime and Delinquency etc.
• 100 hours | 9 lessons | Assignments | Practical exercises 
• Self-paced course | No deadlines | No course end date 
• Start studying at any time with full support from our specialist tutors.
• Professional development for people supporting adolescents.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Theories of Human Development
   • What is adolescence?
   • Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development
   • The stages of Piaget’s theories
   • Moral development
   • Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, stages
2. Life Crises
   • Life crisis
   • Problems
   • Puberty
   • Attachment theory
   • Internalised and externalized problems
   • Types of problems experienced by adolescents
3. Physical Development
   • Puberty in females
   • Puberty in males
   • Hormones
   • Physical activity
   • Obesity
4. Intellectual Development
   • Piaget’s formal operations stage
   • School problems
   • Lesson 5. Emotional Development
   • Freud’s theories
   • Emotional problems
   • Teenagers and grief
   • Eating problems
   • Depression
   • Emotional problems
   • Typical childhood responses to grief
   • Supporting a grieving child
5. Sexuality
   • Acquisition of gender identity and social role identity
   • Vicarious learning and sexual identity
   • Gender dysphoria
   • Curiosity
   • Sex
   • Sexual behaviour
   • Masturbation
   • Sexuality and nudity
   • Answering questions
6. Social Development
   • Family influence
   • Types of parenting
   • Denigration of parents
7. Moral Development
   • Piaget’s theory of moral development
   • Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning
8. Delinquency and Crime
   • Juvenile delinquency
   • Pathways to delinquency
   • Gangs
   • Crimes more likely in adolescence
   • Behaviour problems
   • Drugs, solvents and alcohol
   • Child abuse
   • Triggers of abuse
   • Stranger abuse
   • How to deal with deviance
9. Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood
   • Erikson’s later stages
   • The transition to adulthood

Aims

• Develop an understanding of the theories of child development in relation to adolescents.
• Develop an understanding of life crises in relation to adolescents.
• Develop an understanding of the physical changes that occur in puberty.
• Develop an understanding of the intellectual changes that occur in adolescence.
• Develop an understanding of the emotional development that occurs during adolescence.
• Develop an understanding of sexuality during adolescence
• Develop an understanding of the social development that occurs in adolescence.
• Develop an understanding of the theories of moral development in relation to teenagers.
• Consider the links between adolescence and delinquent activity such as crime.
• Develop an understanding of the changes that occur moving from adolescence to adulthood.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What can cause school refusal?

Refusal to go to school can be due to a number of problems –

• Some children may be perfectionists. They may become depressed and unsettled if they do not do as well as they expect to.
• They may have a disturbed family life due to various factors, such as loss of a parent through death or divorce, parental relationship difficulties and so on.
• They may experience difficulties being separated from their parents.
• Their school problems may be an established pattern.  Some children may have established a pattern of missing school early in life. They may often have physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches.  
• Some teenagers may go to school, then play truant. This is usually because they are unhappy at home and frustrated at school. They may want to spend their days with others who feel the same way. 
• Emotional problems can affect school work. It can make it hard to concentrate. They may have worries about themselves, about home, pressure to do well, pass exams and so on. They may want to do well and push themselves. But excessive nagging and pushing can be counter-productive. Whilst exams are important, they should not be allowed to dominate the teenager’s life or cause them unhappiness. 
• Bullying. Around 1 in 10 secondary school children is bullied at some point, 1 in 20 every week.  
• Methods employed by the teacher can also affect development.  The use of authoritarian methods can inhibit the development of real cognitive skills.  However providing an environment with discussion, and group interaction and exchange can promote formal thinking and problem-solving skills.

What is bullying?

Bullying is an area of life that many children (and adults) may experience. The teenage years are a time of massive change. Children who were once confident can lose their confidence. Children who were once popular can become unpopular. Children suddenly grow, or don’t grow as fast as their friends. They may lose a lot of weight or gain a lot of weight.  All these changes can affect the self-esteem and self-confidence of a child.  Also, other children may notice differences and target other children. Some children may not understand that their jokes and fun making can actually seriously upset another child. Whilst other children will engage in far more destructive, physical and emotional bullying.

Research in the UK by Tellus4 found that 46% of children reported they had been bullied at some time at school.  Children are bullied for many reasons, it can be due to their appearance, religion, race, sexual orientation, home circumstances, disability, body, intelligence, hair colour. Or they may be picked on for no reason at all.

Bullying can take many forms from – 

• Teasing 
• Spreading rumours
• Gossiping
• Excluding people from groups
• Insulting people
• Stealing belongings
• Writing or drawing graffiti
• Causing actual physical harm
• Messing with other people’s belongings
• Threatening people
• Being pushed around
• Mocking

Bullying often happens when other people are present.

What do our students think of our Psychology courses?

 " The online courses are very easy to use and follow. Prompt friendly replies from tutor to any queries. Course structure flows freely. Very satisfied with course and results..."

Diana (completed ACS Online course in Introduction to Psychology and Psychology & Counselling).

Who Should Study This Course?

Studying this course will benefit both parents and professionals, including:

• Psychologists
• Counsellors
• Carers
• Foster Carers
• Social Workers
• Care Workers
• Children and Family Workers
• Law Enforcement
• Sports Coaches

This highly accessible course can be started any time. You choose your learning method (online or eLearning) and have the flexibility of studying wherever suits you.

Any Questions?

Please click here to contact a tutor Or Request a course handbook here.