Overview

This unit introduces students to the ways in which human behaviour has been conceptualised as 'abnormal'. Students are introduced in depth to the diagnostic manual used by Australian psychologists. Important examples of psychological disorders are introduced in terms of their phenomenology and nosology, as well as theories about aetiology and approaches to psychological treatment. In sum, the unit develops understanding of the concept of abnormal behaviour, and develops understanding of key mental disorders and the major psychological treatments used to address them.

Requisites

Prerequisites
PSY20006 Cognition and Human Performance
PSY20007 Developmental Psychology
PSY20016 Social Psychology

Rules

Pre-requisite
PSY20006 Cognition and Human Performance
AND
PSY20007 Developmental Psychology
AND
PSY20016 Social Psychology
OR
PSY30009 Social Psychology

Equivalent units
PSY30016 Mental health diversity, diagnosis and treatment

Equivalent
HAY321 - Abnormal Psychology; HAYG432 - Abnormal Psychology; LSY304 - Abnormal Psychology; LSY604 - Abnormal Psychology; PSS330B(C) - Psychology of Mental Health; SLSY304 - Abnormal Psychology

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Compare and critique the ways in which human behaviours have been identified as 'abnormal' or dysfunctional
  • Compare the features of major systems of classification of mental disorders, and explain how they are applied to individual cases
  • Critically review the major features of a multi-dimensional approach to understanding mental disorders (biological, sociocultural and psychological)
  • Describe and characterise the phenomenology and aetiology of major classes of mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and addictive behaviours, personality disorders and developmental disorders

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Seminar		3.00 12 weeks 36
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		3.00 10 weeks 30
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		7.00 12 weeks 84
TOTAL150

OUA

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Collaboration		1.00 4 weeks 4
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		8.00 12 weeks 96
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		4.17 12 weeks 50
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Collaboration		1.00 13 week 13
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		6.00 12 weeks 72
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		5.42 12 weeks 65
TOTAL300

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 40% 1,2,3 
ExaminationIndividual 40% 1,2,4 
Online TestsIndividual 20% 1,2,4 

Content

  • Conceptualising and researching distress and mental health
  • Causal factors in mental health
  • Stress and mental health
  • Description and diagnosis of anxiety disorders
  • Description and diagnosis of mood disorders
  • Psychological treatments: the major evidence based approaches 
  • Description and diagnosis of dissociative disorders
  • Breaks from reality: schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
  • Problems with reward management: eating disorders and substance-related disorders
  • Pervasive disorders related to the personality
  • Disorders of childhood  and adolescence

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.