Elements of Psychiatry is a three months clinical course that provides 4th year students with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and appropriate referral of patients with mental health disorders. All major psychiatric diagnostic categories will be addressed, including the basis for a rational pharmacological and psychoterapeutic treatment, recalling basic communication skills. Though the focus is primarily on adults, there will be exposure to the care of adolescents when possible.
Course Prerequisites
Being familiar with the more common medical and surgical disorders, together with their evaluation criteria. Having developed, during previous internships, attention and sensitivity towards patients suffering from organic diseases, so as to be able to deal with the therapeutic relationship with patients suffering from mental health problems
Teaching Methods
lectures; audio and videorecorded interview with real patients; role-playing; discussion of clinical cases
Assessment Methods
written: multiple choice and open-question test aiming at evaluating the student's knowledge and attitude to clinical reasoning
Texts
Neel Burton, Psychiatry 3rd edition, Wiley-Blackwell Ane Haaland and Sassy Molyneux, Quality information in field research WHO Pierluigi Politi, Ri-pensare il paziente, Pavia University Press (English version)
Contents
About the bio-psycho-social foundation of clinical medicine Patient evaluation and assessment Community mental health care Schizofrenia and other psychotic disorders Affective (mood) disorders Suicide and parasuicide Anxiety disorders Personality disorders Organic psychiatric disorders Mental retardation Autism spectrum disorders Substance misuse Eating, sleep, sexual disorders Voluntary vs compulsory treatment Psychopharmacotherapy Psychotherapy Rehabilitation
