84430 - Clinical Psychology

Learning outcomes

Explain how interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors determine the cause, manifestation, and outcome of wellness and disease. Compare current paradigms for abnormal behaviour. Describe the principles of psychological treatments, including psychoanalytic therapies, cognitive and behavioral therapies, humanistic therapies, existential and systemic family therapies. Discuss the methods of study and evaluation instruments used in clinical psychology. Describe the diagnostic criteria and etiological hypotheses of the most common psychological disorders. Discuss the mechanisms and consequences of addiction and dependence, and the psychological effects of abuse.

Course contents

Definition of Clinical Psychology and its scopes of application.
The psychodynamic approach to psychopathology and other models of the mind.
Notes on the history of psychoanalysis and the problem of hysteria.
Psychological defenses and adaptation.
The theory of attachment: the strange situation and the attachment styles. Mentalization and trauma.
The problem of diagnosis in clinical psychology: the DSM V and the Kernberg model.
Psychotherapy elements.

Readings/Bibliography

You do not need to buy specific texts. During lessons it will be provided: educational material also available through username and password at IOL University of Bologna, references to suggested texts.

Teaching methods

Teaching consists of 8 frontal lessons of 2 hours each for a total of 16 hours. The contents of the program will be presented with examples of clinical cases.

Assessment methods

The final exam will be an oral assessment to verify the achievement of objectives (critical thinking, knowledge of topics) within the integrated course of Neurological, Psychiatric Diseases and Pain (I.C.).

The assessment for the Clinical Psychology exam will focus mainly on topics covered in class and will be a written test with 31 questions (4 answers to choose from).

For logistic reasons, the exam of the I.C. will be divided in 2 modules.

Module A (Psychiatry, Clinical Psycology, Neuropsycopharmacology, Anaesthesiology and Pain Management; total 7 CFU)

 

24.02.25

14.04.25

16.06.25

14.07.25

15.09.25

Exam sessions to be held at 3:00 p.m (afternoon) at Viale Carlo Pepoli 5.

Module B (Neurology, Neuroradiology, In vivo Neurometabolic Diagnostics, Neuropathology, Neurosurgery; total 8 CFU)

23.01.25

27.02.25

17.04.25

19.06.25

17.07.25

18.09.25

Exam sessions to be held at 9:00 a.m (morning) at Bellaria Hospital, Pavilion G, First Floor

FINAL GRADES

Taking the module B exam only after having passed the module A is mandatory.

At the end of each module, the Commission will score the overall student’s performance in each module according to the following scale:

o Outstanding 30/30L: full preparation, consolidated and without inaccuracies on the topics covered in the integrated course. Ability to promptly frame the topic. Ability to analyze and connect independently the different topics. Concepts in the right succession and full command of the specific language with some original elaboration by the student.

o Excellent 29-30/30: full preparation, consolidated and without significant inaccuracies on the topics covered in the course. Ability to promptly frame the topic. Ability to analyze and connect independently. Concepts in the right succession and full command of the specific language.

o Very good 27-28/30: preparation of very good level, but with significant inaccuracies in the presentation that compromise the achievement of full marks. Ability to analyze and link independently. Exposure of concepts in the right succession and with appropriate language.

o Good 23-26/30: preparation of good level, but with important inaccuracies in the presentation. Ability to analyze and link after input from the teacher. Exposure of concepts in the right succession and with appropriate language.

o Sufficient 18-22/30 knowledge limited to the basic concepts without serious gaps, only after input from the teacher. Exposition of concepts and language acceptable as a whole.

o Insufficient <18/30: lack of preparation. Serious and repeated conceptual errors.

The final mark of the Integrated Course Neurological, Psychiatric Disease and Pain (from 18/30 upwards) will be assigned when the student has completed both modules (i.e. during the Thursday session when module B is held). The student will be allowed to accept or decline the final mark BY THE END OF THE DAY, preferably right after the exam.

If a student does not achieve a pass score in module B, she/he will be allowed to sit again only for that module, maintaining the positive evaluation obtained in the other module A, as long as this happens within the same academic year.

Teaching tools

Slides, movies, interactions with students will be used.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Agostini