B6421 - Theory and Clinimetric Assessment of Mental Health

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will know the theoretical paradigms of mental health as a multidimensional construct and will be able to use the appropriate rating scales for a comprehensive assessment of mental health according to clinimetric criteria.

Course contents

1) From health-related quality of life to dimensions of psychological well-being: the conceptual framework and their process of assessment in clinical psychology.

2) The unifying concept of euthymia and its psychological evaluation.

3) The science of clinimetrics and clinimetric criteria for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs).

4) Clinimetric approach to the definition and clinical assessment of psychological distress.

5) The experience of psychological suffering: the concept of mental pain and its clinimetric evaluation.

6) The concept of demoralization and its detection based on clinimetric criteria.

7) The Hamilton Rating Scales and the clinical assessment of depression.

8) Somatization, illness denial and the clinimetric domain of psychosomatics.

9) The clinimetric domain of clinical pharmacopsychology.

The course will take place during the first semester (Academic Year 2024-2025) at the Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127, Bologna, Italy.

Readings/Bibliography

The following readings are mandatory:

1) Carrozzino, D., Patierno, C., Fava, G. A., & Guidi, J. (2020). The Hamilton rating scales for depression: a critical review of clinimetric properties of different versions. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 89(3), 133-150.

2) Carrozzino, D., Patierno, C., Guidi, J., Montiel, C. B., Cao, J., Charlson, M. E., ... & Fava, G. A. (2021). Clinimetric criteria for patient-reported outcome measures. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 90(4), 222-232.

3) Carrozzino, D., Patierno, C., Pignolo, C., & Christensen, K. S. (2022). The concept of psychological distress and its assessment: A clinimetric analysis of the SCL-90-R. International Journal of Stress Management.

4) De Figueiredo, J. M. (1993). Depression and demoralization: phenomenologic differences and research perspectives. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 34(5), 308-311.

5) Fava, G. A., & Bech, P. (2016). The concept of euthymia. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 85(1), 1-5.

6) Fava, G. A., Cosci, F., & Sonino, N. (2017). Current psychosomatic practice. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 86(1), 13-30.

7) Fava, G. A., Tomba, E., & Bech, P. (2017). Clinical pharmacopsychology: conceptual foundations and emerging tasks. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 86(3), 134-140.

8) Fava, G. A., Tomba, E., Brakemeier, E. L., Carrozzino, D., Cosci, F., Eöry, A., ... & Guidi, J. (2019). Mental pain as a transdiagnostic patient-reported outcome measure. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 88(6), 341-349.

9) Meerwijk, E. L., & Weiss, S. J. (2011). Toward a unifying definition of psychological pain. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 16(5), 402-412.

10) Patierno, C., Fava, G. A., & Carrozzino, D. (2023). Illness Denial in Medical Disorders: A Systematic Review. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 1-16.

Scientific articles will be discussed and reviewed during classes to facilitate the co-construction of knowledge and to enhance critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Additional bibliographic references will be provided during classes.

Teaching methods

Academic lectures will be combined with practical and discussion sessions. Cooperative teaching methods will be adopted and include “learning by doing” (i.e., assignments, role-playing, and group presentations). Class attendance and active participation are required since they are essential elements to achieve expected learning outcomes.

Assessment methods

A final exam, which consists of an interview, will be scheduled at the end of the course. Students will complete an oral examination where they will answer questions about clinimetrics and its applications in clinical research and practice.

The acquired knowledge will be evaluated based on the extent to which answers are adequate and comprehensive. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning will also be evaluated.

The highest score (i.e., 30 cum laude) will be assigned to students demonstrating not only an extensive knowledge of the topic but also the ability to provide an answer based on their critical thinking and clinical reasoning. The use of books, notes and slides is not allowed during the exam.

Please note that the final grade will be calculated as a weighted average based on the number of credits and marks obtained in the courses of “Theory and Clinimetric Assessment of Mental Health” and “Psychometric Assessment".

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations, scientific articles, and clinimetric indices will be used.

For more details about the course, please send an email to Professor Carrozzino: danilo.carrozzino@unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Danilo Carrozzino