CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

The objectives of the course concern the acquisition of adequate skills on the basic constructs and methods of clinical psychology and their application in the field of prevention, the psychodiagnostic process and psychological interventions in the clinical field. Knowledge of functional and dysfunctional adaptation mechanisms, the genesis of existential difficulties linked to critical or psychopathological conditions and the biopsycho-social factors that intervene on cognitive, affective and behavioral processes will be explored. The course also includes the acquisition of the main methods and tools for clinical psychological and neuropsychological evaluation (clinical interview or interview, observation, questionnaires and tests) and intervention models in clinical psychology according to the objectives (health promotion, consultancy, support, rehabilitation, therapy) in the different application contexts and the related methodologies of empirical verification of the effectiveness of interventions, as well as the ethical and deontological dimension in the clinical-psychological field.

At the end of the course the student will obtain the knowledge and method necessary to operate in the field of clinical psychology and the skills relating to specific assessments and interventions. They will have gained knowledge relating to the different topics covered by the lessons and will understand the connection between theoretical approaches, research results, tools and treatment planning. You will be able to compare different approaches, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical orientations. The student will acquire the skills to intervene with specific clinical-psychological tools at an individual, interpersonal and group level in the application areas of clinical psychology.

The method in Clinical Psychology: models and theories

Diagnostic process and assessment in Clinical Psychology

Basics of psychopathology

Intervention in Clinical Psychology

Research in clinical psychology

Evaluation of the effectiveness of treatments

Kring/Johnson, Abnormal Psychology, 15^th Edition, International Adaptation. 2022 John Wiley & Sons.

The evaluation criteria are based on:

- acquisition of the main concepts and theoretical approaches of clinical health psychology;

- clarity of presentation;

- competence in use of specialist vocabulary

Theories and constructs (models: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, systemic-relational family, humanistic-experiential)

Case formulation 

Therapeutic relationship

Causality and risk factors and psychopathology in the life cycle (models: traits, environmental, diathesis-stress, biopsychosocial)

Psychophysiological and psychobiological factors of vulnerability

Neuroscience and mind-brain unity, connectivity

Quantitative and qualitative research methodology and designs

Diagnostic process in clinical psychology

Assessment, cognitive and clinical neuropsychological evaluation

Validation of assessment tools

Diagnostic classification systems (PDM-2, DSM-5-TR, ICD-11, HiTOP, RDoC)

Mood disorders

Anxiety disorders and OCD

Somatization disorders

Trauma and related disorders

Addiction, conduct and impulse control disorders

Psychopathy and antisociality

Schizophrenia

Personality disorders

Nutrition and eating disorders

Sexual behavior disorders

Chronic illness and mental health

Phases of the clinical intervention

Psychological counseling

Internet and artificial intelligence in clinical psychology

Empirical verification of interventions

Professional ethics and deontology

Intervention in the healthcare and third sector