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Introduction to Assessment and Diagnosis (PSYC90011)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 6.25On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
Summer Term
Principal Coordinator: A/Prof Brett Deacon
brett.deacon@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability | Summer Term |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Psychologists need to be able to provide patients with the most appropriate treatment to address the presenting issues and problems that have brought them to treatment. To do this, psychologists must be able to: assess the patient’s current situation and symptoms; understand how their history has influenced their current situation; and understand the patient’s living circumstances, their own unique range of strengths and weaknesses, supports that are available, and other relevant factors. On the basis of this information, psychologists arrive at an individualised ‘case formulation’ which will then guide the clinician to the most appropriate treatment options.
This subject covers a range of fundamental issues in psychological interviewing and testing in professional settings that enable a clinician to develop case formulations. Specifically, students will be introduced to the principles and practice of diagnostic decision making, symptom assessment and monitoring, the logic of clinical inference-making, and the integration of material derived from the patient history with the mental state examination and other sources to arrive at a case formulation.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
Knowledge
- Demonstrate knowledge of primary techniques in the assessment of adult psychopathology applicable to a broad range of clinical psychological problems.
Skills
- Conduct professional interviews and assessments (including formal diagnostic assessments), to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues.
- Interpret and communicate assessment findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports, using culturally appropriate language.
Application of Knowledge and Skills
- Integrate, interpret and synthesise clinical psychological assessment data with the knowledge of psychopathology and personality to inform case formulation, diagnosis and prognosis to a broad range of psychological problems varying in complexity.
- Critically integrate patient history with mental state examination and information derived from multiple sources (e.g. informants and standardized assessment).
Generic skills
- Advanced information interpretation skills
- Advanced analytic, integration and problem solving skills
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Psychology (Clinical Psychology) programs
- Admission into or selection of one of the following:
- 527CL Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)
- 080CL Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)/Doctor of Philosophy
- Note: the following subject/s can also be taken concurrently (at the same time)
Code Name Teaching period Credit Points PSYC90031 Adult Psychopathology Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)6.25
Professional Psychology programs
- Admission into or selection of one of the following:
- GD-CLINPSY Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology
- MC-PROPSYC Master of Professional Psychology
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Recommended background knowledge
Completion of APAC approved psychology studies to fourth-year (Honours) level.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Practical class exercise (role-play)
| Middle of the teaching period | 30% |
Exam
| End of the assessment period | 70% |
Attend at least 14.5 of 18 hours of classes Hurdle requirement: At least 80% attendance at all teaching activities associated with this subject. In case of failure to meet the attendance requirement, additional work related to the missed class activities (e.g., short 500 word essay on missed topic) will be required before a passing grade can be awarded. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Summer Term
Principal coordinator Brett Deacon Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 3 x 6 hours of lectures/seminars and a 6 hour Clinical Workshop Total time commitment 85 hours Teaching period 17 January 2024 to 1 February 2024 Last self-enrol date 19 January 2024 Census date 22 January 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 2 February 2024 Assessment period ends 8 February 2024 Summer Term contact information
Principal Coordinator: A/Prof Brett Deacon
brett.deacon@unimelb.edu.au
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental health disorders (5th ed). Washington DC: Author.
Lewis, A.J., Gould, E., Habib, C., & King, R. (2010). Integrative assessment in Clinical Psychology. Australian Academic Press, Bowen Hills.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Last updated: 31 January 2024