Course summary

This MSc will provide you with state-of-the art training in theoretical and practical applications of the biopsychosocial approach to the study and assessment of mental health. Drawing on the University of Bristol's renowned strengths in Psychology and Epidemiology, this MSc will equip students with the skills to explore what mental health is and how it can be treated, alongside how we can promote wellbeing and prevent mental health difficulties. Students will be exposed to an evidence-based approach to mental health, situating contemporary mental health challenges within a historical context. The programme will cover aetiology, prediction and treatment (from a biopsychosocial perspective), multiple contemporary issues surrounding mental health science (for example, diversity, women's mental health, rising mental health problems), and research skills. The voices of lived experience will be embedded across the programme, providing students with a rich learning environment that acknowledges the variety and complexity of real-world mental health challenges. We place strong emphasis on Public Involvement and Engagement (PIE) making this MSc unique compared to competitors. Students will value the role that co-production and participatory methods play in mental health research and practice these skills. Alongside this they will learn critical data skills, such as programming, complex secondary data analysis, and the very latest in open science practices. Assessments are authentic and relevant to careers in mental health and will require students to demonstrate key skills including presentation, analysis, critical evaluation, and reflexive practice, providing a well-rounded set of assessments for taught skills. Students will build a research portfolio of work for their dissertation accumulating across the year with regular feedback on progress. This authentic way of working is aligned with future career directions and is designed to provide the students with more support to deliver a high-quality piece of research and to put into practice many of the skills they have learned across the units. This MSc will appeal to students keen to advance their understanding of mental health science, who value the opportunity to encounter multiple perspectives to gain a rich and authentic appreciation of contemporary mental health challenges.