Massive opportunity to boost mental health launched today

The University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre has launched a new online course focusing on boosting mental health in the community. People who want to accentuate the positive side of their mental health may be drawn to a new online Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health course launching today through the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre. Course coordinator Dr Sonia Kumar from Brain and Mind Centre says that while mental illness is a common source of disability in our communities, there's growing interest in how to promote positive mental health. "Mental disorders are a major burden, yet most people affected don't seek professional help. At the same time, there's growing interest in positive mental health and wellbeing, which is why we are offering this new learning opportunity," Dr Kumar says. "This new course - offered as a MOOC or massive open online course - is unique in that it has a "positive psychiatry" focus and offers learning opportunities about positive mental health as well as managing mental illness and distress." 'Positive psychiatry' is a relatively new term that was introduced by Professor Dilip Jeste, former president of the American Psychiatric Association with a 2016 book entitled 'Positive Psychiatry: A Clinical Handbook'. It incorporates ideas from the fields of health promotion and positive psychology, a well-known movement that has been championed by Martin Seligman over a couple of decades.