Welcome to the Class Blog for Clinical Psychology at Ashoka University!

This is the class blog created for a 200-level Clinical Psychology taught by Professor Simantini Ghosh at Ashoka University, Haryana. Blog posts are uploaded by students of the course or members of its teaching team. 

The contents of this blog are protected under a creative commons license. Please cite appropriately if using any content from it. Contact: simi@ashoka.edu.in

Course Description

This course focuses on understanding the phenomenology (description), etiology (causes) and treatment of abnormal behaviour. Various classification systems for psychological syndromes are discussed including, among others, the DSM V, created by the American Psychological Association. The myriad of genetic, biological and social factors implicated in the pathogenesis of such disorders are explored. 

Course Objectives

• Understand the merits and limitations of research methods and assessment techniques for clinical psychology
• Learn basics of critical and analytical skills required to read an article on clinical psychology
• Understand and be able to describe the current APA classification system (DSM-5) and show appreciation for other classification systems internationally
• Understand and be able to describe the major psychological disorders
• Describe the genetic, biological, social, and psychological influences on these disorders
• Understand the influence of societal, cultural, historical, and environmental influences on these disorders
• Appreciate the concept of comorbidity
• Discuss mental health services historically, and in today’s USA, and appreciate international differences
• Understand ethical issues involved with mental health services and engage with them
• Learn the importance of vocabulary, empathy and nuances in abnormal behaviour
• Be able to navigate and think through elementary clinical problems in practice
• Learn to write an interview questionnaire based on a clinical case study