Abnormal Psychology

Catalog description

Abnormal psychology is the study of mental disorders from a psychological perspective. The central rational for this course is to provide students with a better understanding of how different mental health disorders may be caused, how they manifest themselves, and how they may be treated. Abnormal psychology constitutes a very controversial and contested field of study and clinical practice, as the manifestation of mental health issues and when they may or may not be diagnosed as abnormal invariably come up against socially and culturally acceptable standards as to what constitutes normal, and how persistent deviation from the norm should be labeled and treated. Hence an important purpose of the course is to introduce students to different perspectives on what it means to have a mental health disorder and how such disorders should be treated by mental health services, families and the wider community. Finally, this course also aims to introduce students to elements of clinical practice in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders.