Mental Health Components in Entry Level Curricula for Osteopaths: Report to New South Wales Osteopaths Registration Board

This report provides information about the extent to which current entry-level curricula provides an adequate education with regards to mental health for Osteopaths in Australia and New Zealand. The information presented in this report will enable the Board and ACORB to consider recommendations for the enhancement of current Osteopathic curricula and amendments to the accreditation policy. These recommendations and amendments will be reflective of the existing content required of an entry-level Osteopathic program and of graduate attributes required of Osteopaths to appropriately respond to the needs of individuals and their families dealing with the challenge of mental health conditions. Proposed amendments will need to align with the Boards’ and wider government polices (e.g., NSW Department of Health, Australian Department of Health and Aging, New Zealand Ministry of Health). This has potential to lead to enhancements in entry-level Osteopathic education, ultimately enhancing services for those affected by mental health issues The project investigated the mental health components of the curricula for Osteopath education in Australia. It comprised two phases. The first phase involved a survey regarding mental health curricula content, delivery methods, and accreditation standards for entry-level Osteopathy courses in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. For comparison and benchmarking, the equivalent curricula in courses for Physiotherapy and Chiropractic were investigated. The second phase involved interviews with providers of Osteopathic education in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and with providers of accredited Physiotherapy and Chiropractic programs in Australia. The interviews investigated aspects of delivering mental health curricula in these professions. This project was funded by the Department of Health and Aging and commisioned by the NSW Ostepaths Registration Board.