Psychology

Clinical and mental health psychology applies the scientific study of mind and behaviour to the understanding, assessment, and treatment of psychological difficulties. It is a discipline concerned not only with abnormal psychology and the classification of mental health conditions but with the broader question of what psychological wellbeing looks like and how it can be supported across diverse populations. The clinical dimension adds a focus on professional practice, therapeutic frameworks, and the application of psychological knowledge in health and social care contexts.

At Teesside University, this three-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year, providing an accessible route into psychology for students who are building the skills needed for degree-level study. A particular strength of the programme, reflected in the current course description, is its emphasis on developing the skills to read and evaluate psychological information critically. You will learn to identify cognitive biases and the common errors in reasoning that affect how people assess arguments and interpret evidence, a skill that is central to scientific psychology and that has practical value well beyond academic study.

This critical thinking foundation supports your engagement with psychological theory, clinical knowledge, and research evidence throughout the degree.

Across the clinical and mental health strand, you will examine psychological approaches to mental health and wellbeing, including cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, humanistic, and systemic frameworks. You will study the major categories of mental health difficulty and their treatment, alongside topics in developmental psychology, neuropsychology, health psychology, and the social determinants of mental health. Research methods and statistics are taught throughout, developing your capacity to engage with the evidence base that underpins clinical practice.

Graduates from clinical and mental health psychology programmes typically go on to postgraduate training if they wish to enter professional clinical practice, as routes such as clinical psychology, counselling psychology, and psychotherapy all require further qualification beyond the undergraduate degree. Many graduates also work in mental health support roles, wellbeing services, research, and health-related organisations while pursuing further professional development.