Education objectives
The International Master on Primary Care Mental Health is a new course in English promoted by the NOVA Medical School|Faculty of Medical Sciences (NMS|FCM), with the objective of developing the capacity of professionals from countries across the world in the integration of mental health in primary care. This new initiative builds on the experience of the International Diploma on Primary Care Mental Health, successfully developed in 2013, and benefits from the experience with the International Masters in Mental Health Policy and Services, developed in collaboration with WHO since 2009.
The NMS|FCM has a strong commitment to primary care mental health, standing among the top centers in the country both in mental health and family medicine teaching and research.
The Department of Mental Health conducted most of the key studies on psychiatric epidemiology and mental health services research in the country (e.g. the National mental health survey and several European studies on the effectiveness of policy and services). The Department is also responsible for an International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services, now in its 5th edition, and has extensively collaborated with WHO, European Union and other international organizations in global mental health initiatives. Members of the Department include world leaders on mental health and primary care, as well as leaders of the Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform, the European Joint Action for Mental Health and Wellbeing, WONCA and the World Federation of Mental Health.
The Master Degree in Mental Health in Primary Care will span two academic years.
Training is organized into 2 parts: one of 5 modules of a total of 60 ECTS, which confers no degree but may offer a diploma graduate, and a second part of 60 ECTS granted after approval of a scientific dissertation (or a work project especially conducted for this purpose, including a professional training with a final report), confers the degree of Master.
Teaching occurs through lectures and seminars as well as practical work (participation in projects, developing innovative services in stages) done during periods of classroom teaching; and through individual work and participation in e-learning activities (lectures, tutorial guidance and discussion of projects). Faculty includes internationally recognized experts in fields related to international mental health. Classroom teaching will occur in three intensive periods of two weeks each, during which students from various countries will stay in Lisbon and participate in classes and seminars to be held in FCM. The activities of e-learning, which follow the residential sessions, occupy a significant portion of time allotted to each module and include lectures, tutorials and discussion of projects. The chosen format aims at allowing participation of pupils from different parts of the world, who this way may participate in the Course without having to leave their countries for long periods.
