New from CPD Online

The e-learning resource for mental health professionals

CPD Online offers a range of learning modules and podcasts that provide a flexible, interactive way of keeping up to date with progress in mental health. During the pandemic, there will be no limit on eLearning that can be counted for CPD; it will be possible for ALL 50 CREDITS to be obtained in this way. Access to the modules and podcasts is through annual subscription, but we also offer a series of free publications for you to trial first.

For more information, visit the CPD Online website: https://elearning.rcpsych.ac.uk

Recent modules and podcasts

Module Vitamin D in schizophrenia and depression – is it all about the sunshine?

This module looks at the role of vitamin D in mental health. Vitamin D deficiency is a global phenomenon and has been associated with a wide range of physical and mental disorders. People with mental disorders, especially those with psychotic disorders, are an at-risk population for this deficiency. CPD credits: 1.5

Module Report writing in court cases involving young people in England and Wales

This module will provide information about report writing and court processes as they relate to children and young people in England and Wales. It will provide guidance as to how to structure reports for children, the different types of reports that are required and the various capacities in which the psychiatrist can act. CPD credits: 1.5

Module Quality improvement module 5: History of quality of healthcare in the UK

The evolution of ‘quality’ in UK health services has been one of consistent technical advances and complex cycles of values and behaviour. Frequent shifts in priorities and terminology, especially in the NHS, have led to relabelling, restructuring and loss of learning. The key dimensions of quality in healthcare remain unchanged, although we have seen an evolution of focus from planning to assurance to a deeper embedding of quality improvement within today's healthcare system. Understanding how and why cycles recurred in the past helps to explain the present and, to some degree, the future and where we might go next in the quest for quality. CPD credits: 1.5

Podcast The psychology behind mathematical modelling of epidemics

Our understanding of and reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic has been largely driven by the modelling developed by infectious disease experts. While this is largely referred to as ‘science’, both mathematical and sociological considerations are crucial to this modelling process. Here, Dr Raj Persaud speaks to Professor Chris Bauch, whose work is centred on applying mathematics to real-world problems in infectious diseases, about how this modelling system works and how effective our response has been. CPD credits: 0.5

Podcast Alcohol self-management during COVID-19 and beyond

Alcohol use amongst the general population has become more polarised during the COVID-19 pandemic, with those who previously drank heavily reportedly now drinking even more. It is therefore vital that those in the at-risk groups for severe dependency are identified and supported to cut down their intake safely. In this podcast, Dr Peter Rice talks to Dr Jennifer Powell about the most effective ways to help alcohol-dependent patients self-manage their alcohol use during the pandemic and beyond. CPD credits: 0.5 Other recently published CPD Online podcasts (each worth 0.5 CPD credits and freely accessible) include: • Managing alcohol withdrawal in acute in-patient psychiatry • Coping with the ‘pointless suffering’ of COVID-19 • Re-reading Camus's ‘The Plague’ in pandemic times • Obedience to authority – lessons from Milgram applied to COVID-19 • Mental Health Tribunals: response to the COVID-19 emergency • How do we lead effectively through the COVID-19 pandemic? • Working with patients remotely • Ethical considerations arising from COVID-19 • COVID-19: Isolation and loneliness – is there a ‘social cure’? • Psychosocial response to epidemics – lessons from Ebola applied to COVID-19 • Surviving the trauma: post-traumatic stress disorder in relation to COVID-19 • The psychology of the virus ‘super-spreader’ • The psychology of coping with quarantine • The psychology and psychiatry of pandemics.