Clinical Psychology

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:9.00

Study Course Accepted:12.03.2024 13:41:08

Study Course Information
Course Code:		VPUPK_043		LQF level:		Level 6
Credit Points:		2.00		ECTS:		3.00
Branch of Science:		Psychology; Clinical Psychology		Target Audience:		Psychology
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Jeļena Koļesņikova
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Department of Health Psychology and Paedagogy
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Riga, 5 J. Asara Street, vppkrsu[pnkts]lv, +37167061587
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		10	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		20
Classes (count)		6	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		12
Total Contact Hours								32
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		6	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		12
Classes (count)		3	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		6
Total Contact Hours								18
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Personality psychology, Development psychology.
Objective:
To provide an opportunity to acquire clinical psychology, its directions, to provide an overview of clinical psychology terminology and key issues, to improve students’ understanding of a disease as a process, of changes in mental process in case of an illness and to provide an insight into pathopsychology.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Course content and requirements. Concept of norm, its record and determination. The aims and tasks of the Clinical psychology.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
2	Biopsychosocial model. Key changes in mental processes in case of different illnesses.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
3	Stress and mental health.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
4	Understanding of the crisis, its types and stages. Crisis management and normal pace of crisis. The threat to identity, loss of biological integrity.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
5	The consequences of violence and support. Suicide phenomenon. Relationship between the suicide risk and the specific nature, course and prognosis of the patient’s illness. Stages in the cycle of grief. Death. Mourning. Normal mourning. Pathological mourning.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
6	Personality disorders			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
7	Psychological assessment methods in clinical psychology.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
8	Case analysis.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Course content and requirements. Concept of norm, its record and determination. The aims and tasks of the Clinical psychology.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Biopsychosocial model. Key changes in mental processes in case of different illnesses.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
3	Stress and mental health.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
4	Understanding of the crisis, its types and stages. Crisis management and normal pace of crisis. The threat to identity, loss of biological integrity.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	The consequences of violence and support. Suicide phenomenon. Relationship between the suicide risk and the specific nature, course and prognosis of the patient’s illness. Stages in the cycle of grief. Death. Mourning. Normal mourning. Pathological mourning.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	Personality disorders			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
7	Psychological assessment methods in clinical psychology.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
1. Systematically read the indicated sources and analyze the case. 2. To develop a report and presentation on the professional activity of a psychologist in a clinical environment. 3. Prepare for test. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
Assessment Criteria:
1. To develop a report and presentation on the professional activity of a psychologist in a clinical environment and and present to a group of students (40%). 2. Test at the end of the course: 10 questions (60%).
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):		Exam
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Students explain the terminology of clinical psychology; describes mental health manifestations; characterised by the process of its formation within the context of the biopsychosocial model; characterises the clinical psychological assessment methods; describes types of personality disordes; describes types and stages of crisis; describes the types and features of violence.
Skills:		Students correctly use the terminology of clinical psychology; evaluates described clinical cases about client problems, difficulties, resources that can be selected for client assessment; recognises the types and signs of violence.
Competencies:		Students explain and evaluate in detail the described clinical cases of the client's problems and difficulties, analyze the client's problems and fix the regularities between the symptoms, as well as draw conclusions.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
2	Hooley, J. M., Butcher, J. N., Matthew, K., N., & Mineka, S. (2017). Abnormal psychology and modern life (17th edition). London: Pearson Education Limited.
3	Sommers-Flanagan, J. & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2013). Clinical Interviewing. (5th edition). John & Sons.
4	Llewelyn, S. & Murphy, D. (2014). What Is Clinical Psychology? Vol. Fifth edition edited by Susan Llewelyn, David Murphy. OUP Oxford.
Additional Reading
1	Boulbijs D. (1998). Drošais pamats. Rasa; ABC.
2	Faugno, D. K., Shores, M., Sievers, V., Smock, B., & Speck, P. M. (2021). Domestic violence and nonfatal strangulation assessment - ebook: For health care providers and first responders. STM Learning, Incorporated.
3	Plante, T. G. (2005). Contemporary clinical psychology. New York: Wiley.
4	Trull, T. J. (2005). Clinical psychology. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth
Other Information Sources
1	Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
2	Clinical Psychologist
3	Clinical Psychology Rewiev
4	Journal of Abnormaly Psychology