Course Listing for Dr. Vickie M. Mays

Undergraduate courses

PSYCH 127A Abnormal Psychology
This course focuses on the study of dynamics and prevention of abnormal behavior, including neuroses, psychoses, character disorders, psychosomatic reactions and other abnormal personality patterns.

CIVIC 175SL Addressing Social Determinants in Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities to Reduce and Prevent Health Disparities
This service learning seminar examines how addressing social determinants in racial/ethnic minority communities can reduce or eliminate physical and mental health disparities. Currently in racial and ethnic minority communities, health status of individuals can be a function of the built environment, exposure to pollutants and toxins, scarcity of supermarkets or stores with fresh produce and nutritional food, noise levels and a variety of other stressors and unhealthy conditions. Yet health interventions are often focused on individual level change or increases in access to health care with little in the way of changing risk environments. This course is designed to identify and provide opportunities to understand how to address social determinants related to negative health outcomes in racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods and communities and to experience how to use the social determinants literature in the service of collaborative activities with community organizations.
There are a number of social capital interventions that can help to reduce or eliminate these health disparities. The course is designed to highlight the role that the next generation of leaders can play in the creation of social capital and enhancement of social connectedness for improving the physical health and emotional well-being of racial/ethnic minorities in partnerships with community agencies and organizations.

PSYCH 188B Special Courses in Psychology: Health Disparities
Introduction to sociodeterminants perspective on health disparities in U.S. Examination of health and health behaviors of racial and ethnic minorities in U.S. to better understand issues of inequities in health disorders, how context influences development of disorders, and role of biopsychosocial model in development of disorders. Study linked to series of courses with internship in medical field.

Graduate courses:

PSYCH 273 Research Ethics in Health and Behavioral Research with Ethnic Minorities
This interdisciplinary course will provide opportunities for researchers at all stages of their research careers to explore the ethics and cultural/racial/gender/class norms of research activities with ethnic minority populations. The goals of this course are to provide participants with: 1) knowledge of characteristics of ethical research; 2) knowledge of issues of ethnic minorities as these influence the process of ethical research; 3) development of skills to ethically address and anticipate ethnic population research issues; 4) ability to develop culturally sensitive informed consent processes; and 5) insights to help pass IRB certification. The course is a basic lecture/seminar format, with the use of web-based quizzes. Some assignments will require responses to be submitted using the course website. Participants in the class will review actual consent forms and engage in a mock IRB. A 15-page paper is the final class product.

PSYCH 274 Health Status and Health Behaviors of Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations
We have witnessed unprecedented attention to the behavioral aspects of physical health and mental disorders in racial/ethnic minority groups. Studies have documented that racial/ethnic minorities receive less intensive health care services and a growing body of work indicates that race discrimination has negative outcomes for both physical and mental health. The goal of this course is to present an overview of the physical and mental health behaviors and the health status of the major ethnic/racial minority groups in the United States. The course will emphasize the role of behavior and environmental forces on the development and prevention of disease, illness, major mental disorders and the maintenance of good health. Particular focus will be given to culture, gender, socioeconomic position and factors of inequality in the health status, health care, and mental and physical help-seeking behaviors of African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Latinos and Native Americans in the United States. An examination of some of the major health disorders that are products of lifestyle patterns such as cardiovascular heart disease, cancer, addictive disorders and major mental disorders, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV in ethnic groups will be presented in the course. The course attempts to assist students in developing an understanding of the relationships among health, illness and disease patterns to micro and macro systems in the United States. The last hour of the course will be spent on the policy implications of the material presented and identifying culturally competent interventions. The class will engage in a field experience in order to complete the folk/complementary/alternative medicine assignment.

PSYCH 296A Research Topics in Psychology
This course includes a discussion of current literature, new ideas, methodological issues and preliminary findings. Students will present their own research and have opportunities for feedback on current and proposed research activity to encourage, support and facilitate student research expertise.

PSYCH 298 Social Determinants of Mental Disorders
The objective of this course is to explore how social determinants are related to mental disorders. Psychiatric epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that the conditions in which individuals live and work; the type of social relationships they have or lack; and their socioeconomic position in society are all factors that come into play in mental health disorders. In this course we will explore the relationships of these social factors to particular mental health disorders as a way of better understanding the complexity of the development of mental health disorders.

PSYCH 298 Mental Health Services and Mental Health Policy
In the last decade there have been a number of mental health and substance abuse policies enacted that have significantly changed the position of mental health services in the overall health care enterprise. The course is designed to introduce students to a broad overview of mental health services in the face of several changes to the financing of mental health care and treatment and the development of evidenced based models of mental health care and treatment. Coupled with the current and projected changes of health care reform via the Affordable Care Act these mental health policy changes require a reexamination of how we conceptualize, deliver and evaluate mental health and substance abuse services. This course will examine current issues in mental health services, particularly within the public mental health sector.

PSYCH 375 Teaching Apprentice Practicum
This course is a teaching apprenticeship under the active guidance and supervision of regular faculty member responsible for curriculum and instruction at UCLA.