Dolphin Dispatch

High School
John Shea, HS Principal—jshea@isp.edu.pa Eric Monson, Assistant Principal—emonson@isp.edu.pa
IB PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS VISIT THE NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE
by Aura Stella Urroz IB Psychology
What is happening in IB Psychology?
On April 11 th , the senior students taking IB Psychology went to the National Mental Health Institute
(NMHI). This institute is a specialized center in research, consulting and teaching in the field of mental
health that provides care to people with mental disabilities.
But why the visit? Among the topics treated in class, students learn abnormal psychology. This area of psychology
is concerned with the understanding and treatment of mental disorders such as schizophrenia,
affective disorders, among others.
One of the goals in class is for students to develop an increased awareness of the controversial nature of
this area, along with an appreciation of its ethical considerations.
Many times people have a misconception of what a mental institution is like: they usually picture a cold,
white building where patients are tied down or wearing straitjackets. Though once this might have been
true, this is no longer the way mental patients are treated.
In this field trip, the students were able to see what a mental institution is today. No straitjackets, no white
buildings or locked doors and no cruelty. They found themselves in an opened environment, surrounded
with trees and caring people that follow principles that ensure the protection of mental patients. Students
were able to learn about the type of treatment and services provided to the patients and had the opportunity
to interact with some of the patients. This experience allowed them to get rid of the belief of madhouses
seen in movies and incorporate into their schemas what a mental institution actually is.
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER #thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa Issue 31