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 most recent edition of the DSM 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. Students will primarily concentrate on mental health diagnoses in the context of normal lifecycle transitions and review various methods of evidence-based 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 with children and adolescents.