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Course Description and Objectives



Description
This course focuses on understanding the phenomenology (description), etiology (causes), and treatment of abnormal behavior. Major psychological syndromes will be discussed along with the current APA classification system (DSM-5) and other classification systems. Genetic, biological, social, and psychological parameters implicated in the etiology of these syndromes will be introduced. 

Course Objectives
Course Objectives
• Understand the merits and limitations of research methods and assessment techniques for clinical psychology
• Learn basics of critical and analytical skills required to read an article on clinical psychology
• Understand and be able to describe the current APA classification system (DSM-5) and show appreciation for other classification systems internationally
• Understand and be able to describe the major psychological disorders
• Describe the genetic, biological, social, and psychological influences on these disorders
• Understand the influence of societal, cultural, historical, and environmental influences on these disorders
• Appreciate the concept of comorbidity
• Discuss mental health services historically, and in today’s USA, and appreciate international differences
• Understand ethical issues involved with mental health services and engage with them
• Learn the importance of vocabulary, empathy and nuances in abnormal behavior
• Be able to navigate and think through elementary clinical problems in practice
• Learn to write an interview questionnaire based on a clinical case study


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