Schools
29 February, 2024
Hospital Excursion
Mental health was the focus, as the first year 11 psychology class from Toogoolawah State High School (TSHS) spent a day at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH).
Eight students and two teachers from TSHS visited the Integrated Pathology Services Centre, and they learned about some of the major factors influencing mental health throughout the past 100 years or more.
The group was shown a range of degenerative, infection and factor influenced anatomical parts, with a major focus on the brain.
The students were given a range of tasks to work through, determining what symptoms each subject would have experienced and how it would affect them.
After this, the attendees browsed around the anatomy museum to find items of interest, as well as see some very surprising and informative specimens.
The final session included highly informative substance abuse cases, such as alcohol and analgesics, as well as anxiety disorders.
The group also saw the blackened lung of a pack-a-day smoker, and the ‘popcorn lung’ now seen in vaping cases.
TSHS psychology teacher Carla Cerchi said it was “a very real and grounding session”, while the students were exceptionally well behaved, focused and interested in the topic.
“Key messages were that we would not know as much about the brain, were it not for research in the past, and that holistic lifestyle is important to overall mental health and wellbeing,” she said.
Mrs Cerchi said many of the students were interested in science, without wanting to focus on biology, physics or chemistry.
She said psychology gave them another science, which helped them understand the biopsychosocial effect that influences everyone in all parts of life.
“There are a number of students looking to study psychology at university, and others who are interested in social sciences and healthcare,” she said.
“This (subject of psychology) ties in well for future careers in these areas, but has been incredibly interesting for them to learn how integrated cause and effect is on human development.”
Now in her second year at TSHS after moving from the Adelaide Hills, Mrs Cerchi said the subject of psychology was raised early last year, among a couple of TSHS teachers and principal Ross Jardine.
After the course was proposed to the students, there was enough interest to enable the school to offer the subject.
