CNS7950: Child/Adolescent Psychopathology and Treatment

This course involves an in-depth analysis of abnormal behaviors in children and adolescents. The etiology, definition, prevalence rate, and morbidity of disorders in the DSM-IV-TR are reviewed. The course will focus on an introduction to the science and art of clinical assessment as the foundation of practice in mental health settings and the use of assessment techniques in a professional and ethical manner, toward the implementation of treatment. In part, adjustment disorders, V codes, and the ICD system will be studied. Students will primarily concentrate on serious mental disorders in the context of normal lifecycle transitions and review various methods of treatment related to the disorders covered. The course will make a concerted effort to apply the above to the "real world" of mental health professionals by examining treatment and assessment considerations.