PY5003 - Adult Psychopathology

Available to MPsych or DPsych students or with permission of course coordinator.

The subject addresses the assessment, diagnosis, formulation and etiology of psychopathology in adults, The subject assumes a basic knowledge of psychopathology and deals at an advanced level with utilizing the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (APA, 2013) classification system. It is approached from a biopsychosocial model, with a critical review of current research and findings from biological, psychological, social and cultural domains. The main emphasis of the subject is to provide some working knowledge of psychopathology that would be required, especially, if one were to work in a multidisciplinary team in medical/clinical/health settings. Thus, theory, research, and some practical skills related to diagnosis, assessment, evaluation and management of mental disorders will be discussed.

Learning Outcomes

• gain an overall appreciation and understanding of the complex nature of theoretical perspectives related to general psychopathology;
• understand and identify the main psychopathological disorders by gaining familiarity with current diagnostic systems and diagnostic criteria & gain knowledge about the fundamental methodological problems of classification and diagnosis of mental disorders;
• gain some understanding of and develop basic skills in using a variety of assessment methods including structured and semi structured clinical interviewing, history taking, using standardised assessment tools (eg questionnaires) and conducting a mental state examination;
• gain some basic skills in diagnosis, conceptualization and formulation of psychological disorders in applied exercises;
• understand rationales for the main treatment options with regard to various forms of psychopathology, including psychopharmacological interventions.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.