Unit details

PSYC5675 Assessment and Intervention—Emotional Disorders

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

Availability	Location	Mode
Semester 2	UWA (Perth)	Face to face

Content

Students are introduced to the diagnosis (using DSM and ICD), assessment and treatment of emotional disorders. The emotional disorders include mood and anxiety disorders. Evidence-based interventions, such as behaviour therapy, cognitive therapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy, are introduced for the different manifestations of anxiety (e.g. panic, phobias, worry/stress, and phobic avoidance) and mood (e.g. depression and mania) disorders, with comorbidity considered.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate evidence-based assessment and diagnosis of emotional disorders, according to international taxonomies of classification and considering differential diagnosis; (2) illustrate evidence-based case formulation for emotional disorders, considering relevant theory, causal/maintaining/protective factors and research; (3) identify evidence-based interventions for emotional disorders, guided by critical evaluation of the research literature; and (4) describe culturally-responsive treatment of emotional disorders (e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), and apply these concepts to clinical contexts.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) group oral presentation; (2) case-based assessment essay; and (3) attendance. Further information is available in the unit outline.

To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the attendance component.

For units commencing in May 2022 or later the availability of the supplementary assessment is subject to confirmation.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Except where supplementary assessment is not available in a unit, it will be offered to students in all units who:

• Are in good academic standing overall;
• Have passed over half the units taken in the teaching period concerned, except where they are only enrolled in two or less units in the period;
• Have submitted all assessment items in the unit;
• Have achieved a mark between 45 and 49 for the unit overall, or the same mark in any failed component item in the unit; and
• No finding of academic misconduct has been made against them in the unit concerned.

Additionally student may apply for supplementary assessment in any unit which is the final unit required for graduation in there course and where they have achieved a mark between 45 and 49 for the unit overall, or the same mark in any failed component item in the unit.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Professor Andrew Page

Unit rules

Prerequisites:

Enrolment in 01890/54590 Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Neuropsychology or 01870/54570 Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Psychology or 53370 Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology

Co-requisites:

Nil

Incompatibility:

Nil

Contact hours

lectures: 3 hours per week

Note

Students enrolled in an APAC accredited program must hold provisional registration as a psychologist. It is the students' responsibility to ensure registration eligibility. Enrolled students are also responsible for maintaining provisional registration for the duration of their enrolment in the program.

Suggested texts

Barlow, D. H. Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders: a Step-by-step Treatment Manual, 5th edn: Guilford 2014

Beck, J.S. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond, 2nd edn: Guilford 2011

Page, A. C. and Stritzke, W. G. K. Clinical Psychology for Trainees: Foundations of Science-informed Practice, 2nd edn: Cambridge University Press 2015

Westbrook, D., Kennerley, H. and Kirk, J. An Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Skills and Applications, 3rd edn: Sage 2017