Department of Psychiatry

Postgraduate Education

 

MPhil Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

 

Programme overview        

The MPhil in Child and Adolescent (C&A) Psychiatry provides comprehensive training in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents. In addition to exposing trainees to the core training requirements of child psychiatry, the program includes additional electives in diverse areas that can provide options for future expertise such as substance abuse, forensic psychiatry and leadership in C & A mental health services. The teaching and learning strategy vary with the module and include supervised clinical rotations that are supplemented by didactic courses, seminars and individual/small group supervision. Independent learning is encouraged and trainees are required to complete a supervised research assignment.

 

Admission requirements

To be eligible for our program, you must hold:

  • Master of Medicine in Psychiatry or
  • Master of Clinical Psychology; or
  • fellowship of the South African College of Psychiatrists; or
  • an equivalent qualification approved by Senate for this purpose;

And

  • Registration as medical practitioner in the category independent practice/specialist psychiatrist/clinical psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

 

Modules and credit values

First year

  • Ethics 873 (5)
  • Ethics and Legislation 871 (5)
  • Developmental Psychiatry 871 (10)
  • Clinical Child Psychiatry 871 (40)

Second year

Compulsory modules

  • Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry 871 (15)
  • Research Methodology and Project 871 (70)

Elective modules

  • Substance Abuse in Young Patients 871 (15)
  • Forensic Child Psychiatry 871 (15)
  • Infant and Toddler Mental Health 871 (15)
  • Advanced Paediatric Psychopharmacology 871 (10)
  • Paediatric Neuropsychology 871 (10)
  • Advanced Child Psychotherapy 871 (10)
  • Child Mental Health Service Development 871 (10)
 ​

Enquiries
Programme coordinator: Dr. Fiona Schulte
Tel.: (021) 938 9174; E-mail: fionaschulte@sun.ac.za


Research projects/activities in Child & Adolescent psychiatry​

1.     Impact of long-term ARV treatment on neuropsychiatric outcomes in children perinatally infected with HIV.
2.     Burden of mental health disorders in caregivers of HIV+ children.
3.     Attempted suicide among adolescents living in a low-resource environment: Contested meanings, lived experience, and expressed support needs.
4.     Profile of children not attending follow-up appointments at a Western Cape Psychiatric hospital.
5.     The first 1,000 days of life: maternal & infant mental health.
6.     Life skills and therapeutics in adolescents.
7.     Cyberbullying among children and adolescents. 
8.     Adolescent mental health, neuropsychiatric, and physical comorbidities.

 

For research-related queries and the availability of projects, please contact

Dr. Anusha Lachman: anusha@sun.ac.za
Dr. Rene Nassen: rnassen@sun.ac.za