The successful student should be able to:

• Conduct a detailed and accurate psychiatric assessment including full history and mental state examination.
• Describe the prevalence and clinical presentation of common psychiatric conditions and how these may differ according to age and developmental stage.
• Explain the biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors which may predispose to, precipitate or maintain psychiatric illness and describe multi-factorial aetiology.
• Describe the common psychological and physical treatments, including the indications for their use, their method of action and any unwanted effects.
• Describe the range of services and professionals involved in the care of the mentally ill.  As part of this students should be able to describe when psychiatrists should intervene and when other clinicians should retain responsibility.
• State the doctor’s duties and the patient’s rights under the appropriate mental health legislation and mental capacity legislation.
• Describe what may constitute risk to self (self harm and/or neglect, engaging in high risk behaviour and risk to others (including knowledge of child, adults with learning disabilities and elder protection requirements)
• Describe how to assess and manage psychiatric emergencies, which may occur in psychiatric, general medical or other settings.  In particular be able to describe the elements of a risk assessment and the management of behavioural disturbance.
• Summarise the major categories of psychiatric disorders, for example using International Classification of Disease (ICD-10)
• Have a good working knowledge of the common psychiatric presentations included in the core clinical  problems list:
  • Altered Mood
  • Anxiety
  • Arrested Intellectual Development
  • Behavioural Problems in Adults
  • Deliberate Self-Harm
  • Eating Disorders
  • Medically Unexplained Symptoms
  • Memory Problems
  • Misusing Drugs & Alcohol
  • Psychological Responses to Trauma
  • Psychosis