Approved for 4 clock hours by Commission on Case Manager Certification from 1/1/08 to 12/31/08.

The purpose of this course is to provide health care providers with the most recent information about severe and persistent mental illnesses, particularly the biological aspects, as better understood since the Decade of the Brain, the 1990s.  After studying the information presented here,  you will be able to:

1. Discuss the public health and social impact of severe and persistent mental illnesses.
2. Describe positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and treatment guidelines.
3. Identify symptoms, treatment, and cormorbidity concerns with major depression.
4. Explain diagnostic categories and biochemical considerations with bipolar illness.
5. Describe various anxiety disorders and appropriate nursing approaches for different levels of anxiety.
6. Discuss how nurses can have an impact on policy and education issues to improve mental health care.