Undergraduate - UnitATS2820 - Abnormal psychology & behavioural disorders

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	School of Applied Media and Social Sciences, Gippsland
Offered	Not offered in 2013
Coordinator(s)	Dr Mark Symmons

Notes

Previously coded PSS2712

Synopsis

Around 25% of the population will suffer from mental illness at some stage, and many others are likely to know someone who is afflicted. Many shun help because of the attendant stigma and suffering is prolonged. This unit seeks to decrease stigma through education. A wide range of disorders are examined, along with their causes and treatment options according to various paradigms.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

Demonstrate a greater understanding of the complexities of mental disorder and better appreciate the experience of those personally or otherwise directly affected;
Better appreciate the nuances to the concept of "normality" and the power of labeling
Analyse and adapt their own attitudes towards those afflicted and thus combat prejudice and stigma;
Describe the categories of disorder and understand the construction of the DSM and how it is used, along with its shortcomings;
Develop a deeper knowledge of individual disorders, what might cause them, and how they can be treated.

Assessment

Written work (2700 words): 60%
Examination (2 hours): 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Mark Symmons

Contact hours

One 1-hour lecture per week
One 1-hour laboratory per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Psychological studies

Prerequisites

ATS1840 or ATS1359 or equivalent

Prohibitions

BHS2712, PSY3032