Applied Psychology 610.185: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND DIAGNOSIS (3 credit hours)
Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences
Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences
Spring 2017
Academic Center 236
Wednesdays, 5:30PM – 8:00PM
Instructor: John Donahue, Psy.D.
Office: Learning Commons 408
Email:
Phone: 410-837-5831; Cellular (emergency only please): (732) 371-4132
Office hours: Wed. 4-5PM; Thurs. 4-5PM (or by appointment)
A note concerning communication. I prefer that students contact me via email. Please be sure to include the course number in the subject line. I will make every effort to respond to your inquiry within 48 hours or earlier. If an issue is urgent, please indicate "urgent" within the subject line of the email and I will respond as soon as is practical.
Course Overview
Course Description
From the course catalog. Problems in the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of behavior disorders. Major attention is given to changing applied and theoretical perspectives in the light of contemporary research methodologies and findings. Prerequisite: This course is open only to the following majors: Applied Psychology or Certificate in Professional Counseling Studies. Other majors may take this course with departmental permission only.
Additional information. This course is designed to meet the state of Maryland LCPC licensure requirements, to enhance your knowledge of various forms of psychopathology and to understand the process of diagnostic assessment, case conceptualization, and diagnosis.
Required Textbooks and Readings
American Psychiatric Publishing. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. ISBN 978-0-89042-554-1
Castonguay, L.G. & Oltmanns, T. F. (2013). Psychopathology: From Science to Clinical Practice. New York, NY: Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-46252-881-3
**Additional articles and text chapters are listed in the Assigned Readings section and will be provided on Sakai.
Sakai:
To access UB Online Sakai: On UB's home page (www.ubalt.edu), click "MyUB" and login. On the right hand side of the screen, click on the icon for UB Online Sakai.
Your Sakai username and password are identical to your MyUB (Peoplesoft) username. For help with MyUB and Sakai, contact OTS at or 410-837-6262.
Course Student Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
· Describe different theoretical models of psychopathology and the empirical support for these theories.
· Describe the DSM-5 classification system of mental disorders and the criteria for diagnosing major disorders.
· Apply the DSM-5 classification system in determining the appropriate diagnosis(es) of clinical cases.
· Integrate current perspectives on the hereditary, environmental, and psychological determinants in understanding the etiology of major psychological disorders
· Critically evaluate the premises of the DSM system of classification in the context of alternate conceptualizations of psychopathology.
· Identify the contextual and cultural influences on the development, diagnosis, and phenomenology of psychological disorders.
Course Expectations
As a graduate-level course, students are expected to develop and demonstrate skills in independent learning, critical thinking about assigned readings, and professional-level writing skills. Students are expected to spend 2-3 hours of independent preparation for every hour of class time in graduate courses. The teaching format is lecture, discussion, case analysis, videotape, and exercises. In addition, the following requirements and expectations should be followed:
1. All students should come to class prepared to discuss course readings.
2. Students are expected to be punctual in their arrival to class, and are expected to attend every class period.
3. This class should be considered an important part of your professional training and students are required to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism both in class and in communications with the professor.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
The final grade for the course is based on the points earned out of the maximum. The specific requirements are as follows:
1. Attendance & Active Participation 20%
2. Exams (mid-term and final) 35%
3. Critical Thought Papers 25%
4. Group Project (paper & presentation) 20%
Grading:
Final letter grades will be the based on the percentage of total possible points earned (% of 100 points). Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A 93% and above B- 80%-82% F 69% and below
A- 90%-92% C+ 77%-79
B+ 87%-89% C 73%-76%
B 83%-86% C- 70%-72%
Requirements Explained
Active Course Participation (20% total; Attendance/Participation = 10%; Discussion Postings = 10%).
Students are required to come to class having read the assigned materials and ready for in-depth discussion of the same. Participation is defined as verbal discussion that demonstrates knowledge of assigned and integration of previously-covered class material. Your participation grade will therefore be partly based on the quality of your interactions with your classmates in meaningful discussions. Regular class attendance is critical to your success in this class. Two late arrivals beyond 15 minutes or leaving class 15 minutes prior to the end of class constitute an absence. After two unexcused absences, your final grade will be reduced ½ letter grade for each missed class (e.g., A to A-).
Active participation is additionally gauged via weekly postings on the Sakai Discussion Forum (10 total, across the semester). Postings should be based on the week's readings, and may include reflections, critical analysis, and/or rationally derived questions. Simple summaries of readings are not sufficient. While these postings may be brief (e.g., two paragraphs) they must be a substantive contribution to the topic under discussion and reflect the quality of discourse characteristic of a master’s level class, as determined by the instructor. As comments and questions may be incorporated into the class discussion for the week, weekly discussion postings must be submitted by 9AM on the day of class (Wednesday). Late submissions will not be accepted.
Exams (35% total; Midterm = 15%; Final = 20%).
There will be two (2) exams, a midterm and final, as indicated on the tentative schedule provided below. These exams will include a combination of multiple-choice questions and essay questions. Questions may be drawn from both lectures and assigned readings. These exams are non-cumulative. Prior to the exam, you will be given a study guide to help you prepare. I will provide paper for the exam and you will bring no notes with you to the test. If you know you will not be able to attend class on the day of an exam, you should contact me about arranging an early exam administration. Makeup exams are only considered in the event of emergency situations. In these instances, you must notify the instructor, personally, by phone or e-mail BEFORE the exam, and you must supply documentation that provides supporting evidence (hospital or physician note, tow-truck receipt, etc.).
Critical Thought Papers (25% total; First Paper = 10%; Second Paper = 15%).
There are two (2) critical thought papers in this class, each worth 10% of your final grade. Each paper shall conform to APA style and adhere to the objectives and requirements listed below:
Paper 1: The first several classes of this course focus on the principles and paradigms of psychopathology and diagnostic classification. Following this section, students are required to complete one typed paper, with 4 pages of content (not including cover page or references), which you are required to engage in elaborative processing of the material you have learned up until that point. The paper should include (a) a brief summary of key points, (b) questions or challenges to some aspect of the reading, and (c) implications or hypotheses generated from the readings. Paper is due on 2/22/17 by 5:30PM.
Paper 2: For the second critical thought paper, students are required to complete one typed paper, with 6-7 pages of content (not including cover page or references), in which you will briefly review the literature on a specific psychiatric diagnosis in a particular cultural group or population (for example, Social Anxiety Disorder among Southeast Asian immigrants in the US). Important domains to address in your literature review may include culture-specific expressions of the disorder; risk and protective factors, correlates, consequences, and phenomenology of the disorder; and culturally specific adaptations to empirically supported treatments for the disorder. Your topic must be approved by me before 3/8/17. The paper is due on 4/12/17 by 5:30PM.
Remember: Thought papers are not simple summaries of the readings, they should instead reflect a clear effort on your part to understand, critique, and synthesize the assigned material. Thought papers should be submitted using the Assignments Portal on Sakai.
Group Project: (20% total; Paper = 10%; Presentation = 10%).
For this project, you will work in groups of 4 students. The objective of this project is to present and write up a case conceptualization and treatment plan for a movie character who experiences significant life interference or distress as a function of his/her psychopathology. The movie must be easily obtainable so that I can view it as well. If the movie that you would like to use is obscure and not easily accessible, you can use it only if you provide me with a copy. You will sign up for the presentation during the two weeks of classes. It is OK if the movie character that you pick has a personality disorder. However if that is the case, your character must also have another disorder as well. Do not pick a movie where the character only has a personality disorder. Each group will write one paper. Papers are due on the date of the last class, 5/10/17 by 5:30PM, and should be submitted using the Assignments Portal on Sakai.
The format of the paper is presented below. The final paper must clearly include the eight sections listed below. It is OK if you have incomplete information for the first five items. You must use APA style.
1. Identifying information – Individual’s age, sex, social class, race, religion, marital status, living situation, educational attainment, and family constellation (approximately ½ of a page).
2. Presenting problem – Your character may not be seeking help. Nevertheless, since your character, by definition of this assignment, must be experiencing significant distress or interference as a result of his/her psychopathology, you should be able to talk about his/her current symptoms, anxieties, moods, and difficulties in personal or occupational roles (no more than 1 page).
3. Behavioral observations – Describe the character’s physical appearance and any salient mannerisms. Relevant observations might include his/her apparent state of health, physical coordination, intellectual and cognitive functioning, affect, or any oddities or peculiarities in behavior (approximately ½ of a page).
4. Precipitating factors and history of the problem – To the extent that it is available, describe the events or life changes that accompanied the appearance of psychological distress. Explain the development and course of the problem (no more than 1-2 pages).
5. Developmental and historical information – Describe any significant family, school, and peer relationships. Social/ethnic/racial/cultural/gender/sexual/economic factors that organize and impact psychological functioning should be articulated. School and work history should be summarized. Provide information about medical conditions, psychiatric history, and any treatments, if relevant (no more than 3-4 pages; depending on the movie, little information may be available for this section).
6. Diagnostic Formulation – Provide all elements of a DSM-based diagnosis (see DSM 5, pp. 21-23). Substantiate your diagnosis (or diagnoses) with data from the movie. Also describe differential diagnostic issues, including related disorders that you may have considered but ruled out. Discuss what instruments you might administer to clarify diagnostic issues as appropriate (2-3 pages).
7. Analysis/Formulation/Case Conceptualization – Describe what model(s) you are using to conceptualize the patient’s problem (you must include references here, and you do not need to limit yourself to models that we discuss in class). In general, one theoretical model should be sufficient but you may attempt to integrate two theoretical perspectives if you wish (if you do this, be careful that you do it in a sensible way that I can easily understand). If you do use only one theoretical model, it must have a psychological component (i.e., do not focus only the biological aspect of the illness). Explain the factors related to the development and maintenance of the character’s problem according to your theoretical model (approximately 3 pages).
8. Treatment plan/recommendations – Provide a brief review of the empirical support for the treatment(s) that you will be proposing (you must include references here). The treatment plan should not only have empirical support but must also logically flow from the case conceptualization (i.e. – it does not make sense to give a purely biological explanation of a disorder and present a treatment plan that consists of family therapy). Describe your clinical goals and planned interventions. Include objective measures to track treatment progress (approximately 3 pages).
Your presentation should cover the same material as your paper and should be approximately 20 minutes in length. If appropriate or desirable, the presentation may contain more of an explanation of the movie’s plot than will be possible in your paper. Your presentation must include movie clips in support of the points you are making. The entire paper (across all sections) should be no more than 15 pages of content (1 inch margins, double spaced, 12 point font). You do not need to count the title page and references in this page count. Typically, papers will use 6-8 references.
For written assignments:
All written assignments are due on the date stated on the syllabus. Unexcused late papers will be subjected to a 10% grade reduction per day. Assignments turned in more than five days late will receive a grade of zero. In cases of excused late assignments, you must communicate with me prior to the due date, to set up a date by which the assignment will be turned in. Extensions to due dates will be granted only for dire unforeseen situations.
I expect you to write clearly and succinctly and to use standard writing organizational tools (i.e. thesis statements, transition sentences, etc). You need to use correct grammar and spelling and write in complete sentences. You need to use APA style for your citations and your tables and figures. Note: My only deviation from APA style in written assignments for this class is that I do not require an abstract.
In addition, when writing your papers, remember that the most common form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when one fails to adequately give credit to others for their ideas. In your writings, you should (a) use your own words to express your own ideas; or (b) use your own words to express someone else’s ideas (paraphrase) and cite the source. When citing, list the author(s) last name and the year of publication in your text (e.g., “…as described by Smith (2000)”), and also list the full reference at the end of your paper with the article name, journal issue, etc. Follow APA format (see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/) and avoid direct quotations. In general, I am looking for your understanding of the class material. Therefore, I am looking for your ability to paraphrase what you have learned from the text and other sources. I strongly discourage the use of quotes because they suggest a lack of understanding of the material – if you cannot rephrase the material, you do not understand it.