Abnormal Psychology Course Syllabus

Abnormal Psychology Course Syllabus Spring Semester, 2006

Course Title: Course Number: Class Time: Location: Instructor: Office Location: Office Phone: E-mail: Office Hours:

Abnormal Psychology CLP 3144 (Reference Number 0344) Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM Building 41, Room 134 Susan E. Walch, Ph.D. Building 41, Room 222 (850) 474-2273 [email protected] Tuesdays, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM (Pensacola campus) Wednesdays, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM (FWB campus) Thursdays, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM (Pensacola campus)

Course Description (from UWF Catalog): Definitions and history of abnormal behavior, theories of causes of behavior disorders, psychoneuroses, psychoses, psychophysiological disorders and problems in living (e.g., stress, anxiety, coping). Opportunity may be offered by course instructor for field trips to mental health facilities for extra credit. Prerequisites or Corequisites None Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Explain multiple definitions of the terms “normal” and “abnormal.” 2. Describe the diagnostic criteria, symptoms, course, incidence, prevalence, etiology, prognosis, and correlates of major mental disorders. 3. Understand biological, social, learning, and developmental influences on psychopathology. 4. Apply diagnostic criteria and case formulations to the assessment and diagnosis of major mental disorders. Course Requirements: Grades will be based upon performance on the following: Graded Activity Exam 1 Exam 2 Case Study Writing Assignment 1 Case Study Writing Assignment 2 Exam 3

Deadline Thursday, 2/9 Thursday, 3/16 Tuesday, 3/28 Thursday, 4/20 Thursday, 5/4

Weight 20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

Exams (20% each): There will be three, non-cumulative exams. Each examination will consist of multiple choice and/or short answer questions. Content of exams will come from classroom material, required textbook chapters, and occasional additional required reading material. Case Study Writing Assignments (20% each): You will be responsible for completing two brief writing assignments. For each of these, you will be given a “case.” This written case information will include history and symptoms, and all other relevant information necessary for drawing diagnostic conclusions. Supplemental materials will be made available on reserve at the library. You will be responsible for reviewing the case and supplemental material and delineating multiaxial diagnoses. You will also be responsible for providing a rationale for the diagnoses, as well as a discussion of rule outs, differential diagnoses, and prognosis. Each writing assignment will require a five page case report (typed, double-spaced, one inch margins). You will be required to cite any sources used within the text of your report (see APA Publication Manual). Case materials and detailed guidelines will be distributed and reviewed in the classroom prior to the deadline.

Attendance and Participation: Classroom attendance is expected. Students will not be graded on the basis of attendance or participation in classroom discussion; however, attendance will influence your ability to receive course information and additional reading assignments in a timely fashion. You do not need to notify the instructor of an occasional absence. If you must miss a class, it is up to you to request materials from the instructor or a fellow student. If you are going to miss several classes in a row, it would be helpful to notify the instructor and make arrangements to cover the material. Class attendance is strongly recommended, as the classroom lecture is not always covered by material in the text or other readings and classroom material is covered extensively on exams and other assignments. Grading/Evaluation: The following scale will be used to determine grades: 93 – 100 = 90 – 92 = 87 – 89 = 83 – 86 = 80 – 82 =

A AB+ B B-

77 – 79 = 73 – 76 = 70 – 72 = 67 – 69 = 66 or below =

C+ C CD F

A missed exam or paper will be counted as a zero. Late papers will lose a grade per day (including weekends) unless an extension is discussed with the instructor in advance. Extensions and make-up exams will only be allowed under the most serious of circumstances. Required Text: Durand, V.M. & Barlow, D.H. (2006). Essentials of abnormal psychology (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth – Thompson Learning. Recommended References: American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author. American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Other Required Readings: Occasionally, additional readings will be required. These will be distributed in class or made available through library reserve. Expectations for Student Conduct Students are expected to take an active role in this course. Students are expected to complete the reading assignments, written assignments, and examinations. Students are expected to attend class on a regular basis and conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful of others in the classroom. Students are expected to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity for all of their academic endeavors, both inside and outside of the classroom. All students are expected to abide by the policies of the UWF Student Code of Conduct and failure to do so may result in a failing grade for an assignment or for the course. See UWF Plagiarism Policy at: http://uwf.edu/history/studentinfo/Plagiarism.pdf#xml=http://search.uwf.edu/scripts/texis.exe/search/xml.txt?query= plagiarism+policy&pr=uwf&order=r&cq=&id=41247fdaf3 See UWF Student Code of Conduct at: http://www.uwf.edu/JudicialAffairs/scc.htm Assistance for Students with Special Needs Students with special needs who require specific accommodations should contact Disabled Student Services to make arrangements for accommodation of disability-related special needs.

Special Technology Requirements: This course requires few special technology skills. Students are expected to be able to access e-mail and use word processing software proficiently. Students will also be expected to be able to access specific online references through the UWF library services. For students who are unfamiliar with accessing online references through library services, alternate means of obtaining the references will be provided (i.e., hard copies will be available for duplication). Contacting the Instructor: If you need to contact the instructor, it is easiest to contact her shortly before or immediately after class or during office hours. If this does not meet your needs, an appointment may be made. To make an appointment or ask a brief question of the instructor, e-mail is the preferred method. Course Schedule: The schedule below represents a tentative timetable. The course will proceed accordingly; however, the schedule is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Any changes to the sequence of the schedule will be announced in class. Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Dates 1/10 1/12 1/17 1/19 1/24 1/26 1/31 2/2 2/7 2/9 2/14 2/16 2/21 2/23 2/28 3/2 3/7 3/9 3/14 3/16 3/21 3/23 3/28 3/30 4/4 4/6 4/11 4/13 4/18 4/20 4/25 4/27 5/4

Topics Introduction to Course/Review of Syllabus Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context Integrative Approach to Psychopathology Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Research Methods Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Research Methods Anxiety Disorders Anxiety Disorders Anxiety Disorders Multiaxial Diagnosis Exam 1 (covering chapters 1, 2, 3, 4) Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders Mood Disorders and Suicide Mood Disorders and Suicide Eating and Sleep Disorders Eating and Sleep Disorders Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Exam 2 (covering chapters 5, 6, 8, 9) Spring Break Spring Break Substance-Related Disorders Substance-Related Disorders Substance-Related Disorders Personality Disorders Personality Disorders Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders Developmental and Cognitive Disorders Developmental and Cognitive Disorders Mental Health Services: Legal and Ethical Issues Exam 3 (covering chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

* With the exception of exam dates, this course schedule is subject to change.

(Case #1 Due)

(Case #2 Due)

2:00 – 4:30 PM

Assignment Syllabus Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Guidelines Exam 1 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Exam 2 No class No class Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Exam 3

Guidelines for Case Study Writing Assignments Deadlines:

Case Study #1 - Tuesday, March 28th NOT LATER THAN 5:15 PM Case Study #2 - Thursday, April 20th NOT LATER THAN 5:15 PM

These writing assignments involve diagnostic exercises. Using the case study provided for each writing assignment, you will be responsible for completing a multiaxial diagnosis and case formulation write up. To complete each assignment, you will need these guidelines and the case study description, as well as your text and your notes from class. While it is not required, it is very strongly recommended that you access the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV), which is available at the reference section of the library, particularly pages 25 – 35. The DSM IV will make the assignment easier to complete. The written product of each assignment will be five pages long (typed, double-spaced, one inch margins, not including cover page or references). The first page is to be completed in the multiaxial diagnosis format provided below. The remaining four pages are to be a discussion of how you determined the diagnoses. It is often helpful to organize the latter four pages by axis (see below). This discussion is to include the signs/symptoms of each diagnosis you assign, as well as a complete discussion of differential diagnoses. Differential diagnosis refers to all of the diagnostic categories that you seriously considered during the diagnostic process. Because the symptoms present in the case study suggest the possibility of several disorders, a thorough discussion of disorders that you excluded is warranted. In other words, you should discuss why you assigned the diagnoses that you did and why you ruled out others. In addition to this page and the case descriptions, as well as your text and notes, the DSM IV is available from the reference section of the library. The DSM IV, particularly pages 25-35, provides a detailed description of the multiaxial diagnosis format shown below. (This material will also be reviewed in class.) Multiaxial Diagnosis Format Axis I:

Clinical Disorders Other Disorders That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention

Axis II:

Personality Disorders Mental Retardation

Axis III:

General Medical Conditions

Axis IV:

Psychosocial and Environmental Problems

Axis V:

Global Assessment of Functioning

Use the above format for the first page of your paper. Use pages 25 - 35 of the DSM IV and text/lecture material to complete each axis correctly. You may want to use other sections of the DSM IV. (You do NOT need to include diagnostic code numbers.) You will not need to use additional resources or references other than those just listed. A few pointers are also included on the following page:

References: American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.

Mutiaxial Diagnosis Pointers Axis I: Includes all of the disorders we have covered in class, with the exception of Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation. Axis II: Includes only Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation Axis III: Includes general medical conditions that are relevant to Axis I and Axis II diagnoses. Axis IV: Includes a listing of any relevant psychosocial and environmental problems or stressors. Axis V: Includes a numerical rating of current functioning, and occasionally highest functioning over the past year, on a scale of 0 to 100. (See DSM IV for anchors to the GAF rating scale.)

You can have multiple diagnoses on any axis. It is also possible that there is no diagnosis on an axis. List every diagnosis for which the diagnostic criteria are met. When no diagnosis exists for a particular axis, “No Diagnosis” is entered on the line. The first diagnosis listed on Axis I is assumed to be the principal diagnosis unless otherwise specified. If the principal diagnosis is a Personality Disorder or Mental Retardation, it should be listed on Axis II, labeled as the “Principal Diagnosis” in parentheses. There are several options for when a diagnosis is not fully clear, including provisional diagnoses, rule out diagnoses, and diagnosis deferred. If diagnostic criteria are minimally met for a particular disorder, the diagnosis may be entered on the line with the label “Provisional Diagnosis” in parentheses next to it. In the instance that diagnostic criteria are minimally met for two similar disorders and one diagnosis appears relatively clear but there remains a question about which diagnosis fits best, you can identify the most likely diagnosis on one line and list the second possibility on the next line followed by the term “Rule Out” in parentheses. This indicates some diagnostic certainty for the former diagnosis with a suggestion to monitor for the possibility of the latter diagnosis. If there is insufficient information to make any diagnosis on any axis, enter “Diagnosis Deferred” on the line. This is different from “No Diagnosis” in that there is some possibility of a diagnosis on that axis but there is insufficient information to specify which diagnosis or not enough information to consider a “Rule Out” or a “Provisional Diagnosis”.