The course aims to provide the essential elements of clinical psychopathology, understood as a discipline at the intersection of phenomenology, psychopathology, clinical practice, and the lived experience of the patient with a mental disorder. In this sense, the course aims to describe abnormal psychic experiences by integrating them with the different "worlds" in which people with mental pathology live in order to restore to the "clinical case" the inescapable quality of human presence based on the knowledge developed by phenomenological-dynamic psychopathology. 

The program is divided into three parts (2h+2h/week):

Part I. Definition and method:

• Definition and history (lectures 1-2)
• Foundations and methods (lectures 3-4)
• Key concepts (lectures 5-6)

Part II. Abnormal experiences and lived worlds:

• Delusional experience and Disorders of the Self in Schizophrenia (lectures 7-8) 
• Vital sadness and lived time in melancholia (lectures 9-10)
• In the mind of the suicidal: the psychopathological axes (lectures 11-12)
• Pathways of dysphoria in the Borderline Area (lectures 13-14)
• Mental States at Risk and new paradigms in the early onset clinic (lectures 15-16) 

Part III. Psychopathology and clinical research:

• Characteristics and issues (lecture 17)
• Empirically derived models of psychopathology (lecture 18)

None.

In relation to discipline, the student should demonstrate the acquisition of:

• Knowledge and understanding: Mastery of the fundamentals of clinical psychopathology, with particular attention to the specificity of the method in relation to related disciplines;
• Applying knowledge and understanding: The ability to recognize and distinguish abnormal experiences and lived worlds that characterize people with different clinical pictures;
• Making judgments: The ability to use knowledge and concepts to refine clinical reasoning skills with reference to original material consisting of reports or clinical vignettes;
• Communication skills: The ability to use specific language to describe and critically discuss psychopathological clinical phenomena;
• Learning skills: Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired a good degree of autonomy in critically understanding the subjective and unitary quality of abnormal experiences that people with different mental illnesses may present.

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

There are no teaching support activities.

Teaching

• Frontal lectures
• Discussion of clinical cases

Innovative teaching methods

• Use of the University Moodle platform for uploading in-depth material (text, audio, or video); 
• Use of the Wooclap interactive platform to stimulate active participation and measure the level of understanding of course topics;
• Use of "debate" practice to discuss some relevant course topics and facilitate the development of critical thinking.

Attendance

The frequency of lessons is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended.

Course books

• Sims, A. (2024). Introduzione alla psicopatologia descrittiva (settima edizione). A cura di F. Oyebode. Cortina (only chapters: 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17). pp. 280
• Rossi Monti, M. (a cura di) (2012). Psicopatologia del presente. Crisi della nosografia e nuove forme della clinica. Angeli. pp. 203
• Rossi Monti, M. & D’Agostino, A. (2012). Il suicidio. Carocci. pp. 116

       The Mini DSM-5-TR. Diagnostic criteria (APA, Cortina 2023) is recommended as a reference text.

Assessment

Oral exam. 

The evaluation criteria are 1) the relevance and effectiveness of the responses to the content of the program, 2) the degree of articulation of the response, and 3) the appropriateness of the language used.

The final score is expressed in thirtieths (range of scores from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude).

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.

Teaching

• Frontal lectures
• Discussion of clinical cases

Attendance

The frequency of lessons is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended.

Course books

• Sims, A. (2024). Introduzione alla psicopatologia descrittiva (settima edizione). A cura di F. Oyebode. Cortina (only chapters: 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17). pp. 280
• Rossi Monti, M. (a cura di) (2012). Psicopatologia del presente. Crisi della nosografia e nuove forme della clinica. Angeli. pp. 203
• Rossi Monti, M. & D’Agostino, A. (2012). Il suicidio. Carocci. pp. 116

       The Mini DSM-5-TR. Diagnostic criteria (APA, Cortina 2023) is recommended as a reference text.

Please note: To allow non-attending students to supplement the lectures with self-study, we recommend using all materials included in the blended platform (slides, tutorials, supplemental materials), which are helpful for a complete understanding of the program content.

Assessment

Oral exam. 

The evaluation criteria are 1) the relevance and effectiveness of the responses to the content of the program, 2) the degree of articulation of the response, and 3) the appropriateness of the language used.

The final score is expressed in thirtieths (range of scores from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude).

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.

• Students who have not completed all the exams within the prescribed period may take the exam according to the program of the academic year of attendance, but they must notify the Professor by e-mail before the exam.
• ERASMUS students can arrange personalized programs with the Professor and take the exam in Italian and/or English.