00867 - Psychiatry

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has acquired knowledge of the main diseases in the psychiatric field with particular attention to the semiological aspects that characterize them. For each pathology the diagnostic, therapeutic and raibilitative aspects will be explored.

Course contents

Epidemiology of mental disorder in the general population, in primary care and in the general hospital. Diagnostic criteria in psychiatry.

Descriptive psychopathology: the signs and symptoms of mental disorders.

Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Mood disorders.

Anxiety disorders.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders.

Somatic symptoms and related disorders.

Psychiatric care in Italy: organization and laws.

Treatments in Psychiatry: psychotropic drugs (antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, sedatives-hypnotics), psychotherapies.

Readings/Bibliography

N.L. Burton. Psychiatry (second edition). Wiley-Blackwell 2010.

Teaching methods

Traditional classes.
Teacher-led discussion on video-recorded clinical cases.

Assessment methods

Oral exam which usually includes 3 questions: one on a psychopathological topic, another on a clinical topic (description of the clinical picture, elements for the differential diagnosis, treatment options) and the third on the organization of mental health services in Italy. Each question can be evaluated with a score from 0 to 10 that takes into account the correctness and completeness of the answer. The sum of the scores of the individual questions constitutes the final grade.

Teaching tools

Presentations of the lessons in PowerPoint. Material provided during lectures and in-depth meetings. The material is available to students and can be downloaded from a dedicated online space.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Menchetti