Lifespan Psychopathology

Catalog description

This course will focus on the etiology, epidemiology, phenomenology, and course of psychopathology, including neuroses, personality disorders, mood disorders, psychoses, trauma-related disorders, psychosomatic disorders, and paraphilias. This course will cover both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral models for conceptualizing how and why symptoms are formed and maintained. Psychopathology will be considered from a historical perspective (what has changed over time) as well as a cultural perspective (ways in which different cultures define mental health; how cultural factors play a role in the diagnosis and misdiagnosis of pathology). Gender differences in different psychopathological categories will also be explored. A developmental focus and multiple clinical examples will contextualize issues across the lifespan. An empirical basis of psychopathology will be emphasized along with implications for real-world conceptualization and treatment planning.