CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Academic Year 2023/2024 - Teacher: Maria Catena Ausilia QUATTROPANIExpected Learning Outcomes
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.
Course Structure
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
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
Textbook Information
Kring/Johnson, Abnormal Psychology, 15th Edition, International Adaptation. 2022 John Wiley & Sons.
Course Planning
Subjects | Text References | |
---|---|---|
1 | Introduction and Historical Overview | #1 |
2 | Current approaches in psychopathology | #1 |
3 | psychophysiological and psychobiological vulnerability factors | #1 |
4 | Neurosciences and clinical psychology | #1 |
5 | research methods in psychopathology | #1 |
6 | diagnosis and assessment | #1 |
7 | clinical psychological assessment | #1 |
8 | neuropsychological assessment | #1 |
9 | DSM; PDM; HiTOP | #1 |
10 | psychopathology | #1 |
11 | clinical psychological interventions | #1 |
12 | psychological counselling | #1 |
13 | cyberpsychology | #1 |
14 | evidence based treatments | #1 |
15 | legal and ethical issues | #1 |
16 | psychological treatments in healthcare contexts | #1 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
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
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
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