Learn 5 Seriously Interesting Mental Health Specialities In A Single Comprehensive Major

What makes some people particularly effective at pursuing their goals and achieving great successes, even in the face of adversity? Psychologists have long been trying to answer this question. Angela Duckworth has dedicated her career to it, and has pioneered a concept she calls ‘grit’. Duckworth and her research into grit has been the subject of much scientific and mainstream media attention in recent years. Her TED talk has had over 10 million views, and her book reached number one on the New York Times best seller list. This MISIS unit explores the concept of grit and how it can be fostered.

Topics Covered Include:

• An introduction to Angela Duckworth’s research on ‘grit’.

• The current state of research into grit, including conflicting research results and on-going controversies.

• The benefits of grit.

• How grit is measured and how you can measure your own grit.

• The key characteristics of ‘gritty’ people and how they can be developed.

• Techniques for fostering grit in others.

• How to cultivate grit within organisations and teams.

Through decades of research, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck noticed a distinct difference in the ways that people react when confronted with setbacks or failure. Some give up easily, while others rebounded (often with even greater intensity) and that this characteristic often leads success. But why do people differ in their response to setback and failure? Dweck believes that it is because of our mindsets – sets of beliefs that we all hold about the malleability of our own personal characteristics. This MISIS unit digs deeper into the research on mindset as well as the concept of neuroplasticity, on which it is based.

Topics Covered Include:

• The key concepts of fixed and growth mindsets.

• The characteristics and benefits of growth mindsets.

• The current state of research on mindsets.

• How mindset is measured and how you can measure your own mindset.

• Neuroplasticity and its link to growth mindsets.

• Factors that determine one’s mindset.

• Techniques that can be used to develop growth mindsets in ourselves, our families, our workplaces, and our clients.

We all know the feelings we get when we have overindulged on too much rich food, or the way our mouth waters when we smell our favourite dishes cooking – these feelings are the result of the complex biological connections between our brain and our gut. It has long been understood that our emotional and cognitive state can affect our overall health, and specifically the health of our gut. What is less well understood, and currently the topic of much scientific research and debate (as well as mainstream media attention), is the affect that our guts have on our mental, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing. This MISIS unit explores this emerging field of research.

Topics Covered Include:

• The human gut and the gut microbiome.

• The enteric nervous system which controls our gut (sometimes referred to as the ‘second brain’).

• ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria, and bacterial imbalances.

• The gut-brain axis.

• Animal research studies into the relationship between diet, microbiota, and mental health issues (e.g., stress, anxiety, and behavioural changes).

• Indications from human research about potential relationships between gut health and mental health issues, including a recent Australian trial that considered how a healthy diet might reduce symptoms of depression.

• Limitations and criticisms of dietary and mind-gut research.

• Dietary patterns for health and wellbeing.

• Professional and ethical considerations for helping professionals who have, or whose clients have, an interest in this topic.

Functional medicine is a field of alternative medicine whose practitioners seek to use a systematic approach to identifying and treating the underlying causes of disease. Functional medicine practitioners take a patient-centred approach which focuses on the interactions between the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that impact health. However, this approach is not without its critics and controversies. In this MISIS unit we will explore this field and its controversies, as well as what relevant research means for helping professionals.

Topics Covered Include:

• The underlying principles of functional medicine and how it differs from traditional medicine.

• The key tools and techniques of functional medicine, and their applications in practice.

• The purported benefits of functional medicine for a range of chronic health conditions.

• Positive lifestyle changes that functional medicine integrates, and which can help improve mental health.

• The current state of research on functional medicine, including its limitations and other serious criticisms.

• Issues in the regulation of functional medicine practitioners and products.

• Mindfulness for worker self-care

• Criticisms of functional medicine practice, including over-testing, and expensive (and possibility unnecessary) treatments.

• Controversies involving key figures in functional medicine.