This course examines the historical, cultural, and political foundations of mental health diagnosis and treatment. Students explore major diagnostic frameworks, including the DSM, alongside critical perspectives that question how concepts of “normal” and “abnormal” are constructed. Attention is given to trauma, cross-cultural considerations, systemic inequities, and the role of carceral and medical institutions in shaping contemporary psychological practice. We will explore how psychiatric disorders are classified, how that classification has changed over time, the current DSM criteria for most disorders and the degree to which biological and social factors are known to contribute to the etiologies. Students will engage with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and other clinical assessment measures as tools for understanding psychological disorders while critically questioning the legacies and limitations of the U.S. healthcare system. Through interdisciplinary readings and applied activities, students develop skills in diagnostic reasoning, critical analysis, and culturally responsive approaches to care.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Demonstrate working knowledge of major DSM-5-TR diagnostic categories and criteria.
Conduct basic differential diagnostic reasoning using case material.
Explain biopsychosocial contributors to the development and course of psychological disorders.
Critically analyze the cultural, historical, and systemic dimensions of psychiatric diagnosis.
Apply culturally informed and trauma-aware frameworks when considering mental health assessment and care.
Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:
4 - Abnormal Psychology
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Academic Details
Healthcare, Social Work, Social Services, Education, Policy, Public Health