Certificate in Depression
This course provides an in-depth understanding of depression, covering its symptoms, risk factors, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options, both conventional and integrative. Gain the knowledge to recognize and manage symptoms of depression. You'll also learn about the critical issues surrounding suicide, including risk factors, assessment, and prevention strategies.
Program Overview
Depression (also known as major depression, major depressive disorder, or clinical depression) is a common, yet serious, mental health disorder in adults, children, and adolescents. Depression interferes with an individual's daily life and normal functioning and may cause emotional pain for the individual with the disorder as well as family and friends. By understanding the symptoms, risk factors, criteria for diagnosis, and treatment options available, depression can be recognized early, and depressive symptoms can be reduced or alleviated. Death by suicide, which can result from depression, is a tragic reaction to stressful life circumstances. Understanding the issues surrounding suicide and mental health is a vital step in preventing suicide, helping others in crisis, and changing the way all of us view suicide and mental health issues.
The outcome of this certificate is for the learner to describe the symptoms, risk factors, and diagnostic criteria for depression, as well as conventional, complementary, and integrative treatment options for those with depression. The learner will also describe risk factors, as well as assessment, treatment and prevention options for suicide.
Duration
Approximately 8 hours
Up to 6 weeks to complete courseworkEstimated Tuition
$89
No additional materials requiredWays to Learn
Credit
.8 CEUs
Continuing Education CreditWhat you will learn
- Explain symptoms, risk factors, and diagnosis criteria for depression in adults
- Explain symptoms, risk factors, and diagnosis criteria for depression in children and adolescents
- Identify the prevalence of depression for children, adolescents, and adults
- Describe conventional treatment approaches for depression in children, adolescents, and adults
- Identify the prevalence of suicide in the United States and globally
- Identify risk factors associated with considering, attempting, or dying by suicide
- Describe methods of assessing, treating, and preventing suicide
- Describe complementary and integrative treatment approaches for depression in all age groups including acupuncture, art and music therapy, humor, animals, light therapy, mindfulness, massage, and spirituality
How you will benefit
- Provides learners with the ability to recognize symptoms and risk factors for depression in adults, enabling timely intervention, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment
- Enhances understanding of how depression manifests differently in children and adolescents, facilitating early detection and intervention tailored to their developmental stage
- Provides a comprehensive overview of how widespread depression is across different age groups, which can inform public health strategies and resource allocation
- Familiarizes learners with conventional treatment modalities, ensuring they can recommend or apply evidence-based interventions for individuals of all ages
- Raises awareness about the scale of suicide, highlighting the urgency of addressing mental health issues and guiding policy-making and prevention efforts
- Improves the ability to identify individuals at risk, allowing for targeted interventions and support to prevent suicide
- Provides knowledge on comprehensive strategies for suicide prevention, from assessment to intervention, contributing to reduced suicide rates and improved mental health outcomes
- Expands the range of treatment options available, promoting holistic and integrative personalized care that can enhance the effectiveness of depression management across different populations
Program Details
Choose from two
instruction types:
Self-Guided – 3 months of access, no instructor. Start anytime upon enrollment.
or
Instructor-Moderated – 6 weeks of access, study online with instructor-moderated discussion boards.
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
Please note: You may be eligible for tuition reimbursement, check with your employer to see if you qualify.