UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

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.

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

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

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) clinical resource development; (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.

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

Unit Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Kristin Gainey

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

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.

Recommended
texts

O’Donohue, W. T. & Fisher, J. E. (2009). General principles and empirically supported techniques of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Wiley.

Page, A. C., Stritzke, W. G. K., & McEvoy, P. M. (2022). Clinical psychology for trainees: Foundations of science-informed practice (3rd Ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Westbrook, D., Kennerley, H., & Kirk, J. (2016). An introduction to cognitive behaviour therapy: Skills and applications (3rd Ed.). Sage.

Barlow, D. H., et al. (2017). Unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: Therapist Guide (2nd Ed.). Oxford University Press.

Barlow, D.H., et al. (2017). The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders: Workbook (2nd Ed.). Oxford University Press

Barlow, D. H., & Farchione, T. J. (Eds.). (2017). Applications of the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Barlow D. H. (2021). Clinical handbook of psychological disorders: A step-by-step treatment manual (6th Ed.). Guilford.