Mental health and illness; brain and behaviors; theeoretical concepts of personality developments and psychiatric nursing; defense mechanism; causes of mental disorders; understanding stress, conflicts and crisis; common signs and symtoms in psychiatry; classification of mental disorders;historical developments in mental health care; mental health ad psychiatric nursing: india scenario; nursing process in mental health ; the therapeutic relationship and communication; mental health team and role of nursing; interview techniques and psychiatric assessment; legal and ethical aspects of mental health nursing; organic mental disorders; schizophrenia; Mood (affective) disorders; neurotic, stress related and somatoform disorders; alcohol and other psychoactive substance use disorders; personality disorders; eating disorders; sexual disorders; psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents; treatment modalities in psychiatry and role of nursing psychiatric emergencies; psychosocial rehabilitation; community mental health services: role of nurse