The student will deepen the area of clinical applications of psychology. Specifically, she/he will familiarize herself with the clinical psychologist job, knowing the professional specifity and the methods of diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Moreover, the student will acquire the basic concept of adult and child psychopathology, that will be read through the lens of attachment theory and intersubjective dynamics between caregiver and infant.

Introduction to clinical psychology

• What is clinical psychology
• Legislation
• Diagnostic and intervention instruments

Theoretical and intervention models for clinical psychology

• Psychoanalisis
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• The role of attachment and motivational systems in child's emotional development

Psychopathology

• Adult psychopathology (schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders...)
• Child psychopathology (ADHD, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, autism, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders...)
• Psychosomatic: the role of stress in causing and maintenance of psychological disorders

Intersubjectivity

• Parent-child interaction and emotional development
• Theory of mind
• Mirror neurons

The student must:

• demonstrate basic knowledge about: epistemological specifity of clinical psychology, of diagnostic and intervention methods
• demonstrate to know principal clinical pictures in adult and develompental age
• demonstrate the ability to apply the aquired knowledge, reasoning autonomously in relation to the application of knowledge in different contexts

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Frontal lessons

Course books

• Sanavio, E., Cornoldi, C. (2010). Psicologia clinica. Il Mulino: Bologna (328 pp.)
• Pallini, S. (2011). Psicologia dell'attaccamento. Processi interpersonali e valenze educative. Franco Angeli: Milano (192 pp.)
• Ammaniti, M., Gallese, V. (2014). La nascita dell'intersoggettività. Lo sviluppo del sé tra psicodinamica e neurobiologia. Raffaello Cortina: Milano. (303 pp.)

Assessment

Oral exam

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.