Audience: Suitable for mental health clinicians

3 hour Zoom or face to face course, facilitated by SA Mental Health Training Centre.

Workshop aims

The workshop aims to provide participants with a foundational understanding of the  classifications, and baic mechanisms of action of psychotropic medications commonly used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with essential knowledge to recognize the indications, potential side effects, and therapeutic considerations associated with various classes of psychotropic medications, thereby enhancing their ability to engage in informed discussions and decision-making regarding pharmacological interventions in mental health care.

Learning goals

This course will explore the following key areas:

  • Understand the fundamental principles of psychopharmacology and its significance in the management of psychiatric disorders.
  • Classify psychotropic medications into major categories, including antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics, based on their mechanisms of action.
  • Recognize the specific therapeutic indications for each class of psychotropic medication, correlating them with the corresponding psychiatric disorders they target.
  • Evaluate the potential adverse effects and risks associated with psychotropic medications, emphasizing considerations such as dosage, duration of treatment, and patient-specific factors.
  • Demonstrate the ability to integrate psychopharmacological knowledge into clinical practice, enabling informed decision-making and collaborative treatment planning within a multidisciplinary healthcare team.