Comorbidity - harmful use or addiction and concurrent mental illness

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

-          Understand and apply fundamental concepts within addiction and psychiatric conditions (mental health and neuropsychiatric impairments).

-          Present and provide examples of how comorbidity affects individuals biologically, psychologically, and socially.

-          Comprehend and articulate the correlation between mental health, substance abuse issues, comorbidity, and related additional problems.

-          Identify and describe risk factors and protective factors concerning comorbidity at the individual and societal levels.

-          Apply knowledge of interorganizational coordination and collaboration through examples from one’s own professional practice.

-          Evaluate research and professional experiences in the field of comorbidity with a critical perspective.

-          Apply a professional approach and attitude in dealing with individuals experiencing comorbidity.

The course is a basic course on comorbidity in the form of harmful use or addiction alongside concurrent psychiatric diagnosis. The primary focus is on understanding of how comorbidity manifests in individuals within the context of biological, individual, and social factors. Additionally, the course addresses how power dynamics and stigmatization impact the relationship between the individual and the authorities, as well as the individual’s self-perception and beliefs. Approaches to interaction, an adaptive stance, and the significance of forming alliances in support and treatment of the individual are additional aspects covered in the course. National guidelines, evidence-based treatment methods, as well as the importance of concurrent treatment and support interventions to meet and address individual needs are also elucidated. Furthermore, the course delves into shared conditions within the community and region based on legislation and legally mandated agreements on collaboration. Coordination and collaboration serve as a common thread throughout various components of the course, taking into account intersectional factors such as gender, class, age and ethnicity.

•  Active participation in mandatory seminars. The assessment is based on the student’s active participation in the discussion and the relevance of the posts in relation to the achievement of the goal.
• Group written assignment which is submitted at the end of the course.

The grading scale used for the final course grade is U–G.

The grade scale used is F/P.

For a grade of Pass on the entire course, Pass is required on all exam elements.

The number of examination opportunities is limited to two over the course of a year in addition to the regular opportunity.

Grades are reported as follows:

• Co-morbidity - 7.5 Credits | U–G

The course is given as an optional course within the sociology program as well as as a credit-bearing commissioned education, which means that the client pays for the education and appoints participants. For further information, see the document ”General terms and conditions for credit-based assignment training” on the University of Dalarna’s website.

The course is primarily digital and requires some computer proficiency:

Navigating the internet, reading and sending emails, using a word processing program (such as Word). Connecting a camera and a headset to the computer and following instructions to install a program.

Computer Requirements:

Access to a computer (not a mini-PC, Chromebook, tablets, or similar) and broadband connection, at least 1 Mbps for receiving files and 0.5 Mbps for sending files (not mobile broadband, as the speed of mobile broadband can vary significantly).