72582 - Intervention Methods for the Distress of the Elderly.

Academic Year 2024/2025

  • Docente: Rabih Chattat
  • Credits: 4
  • SSD: M-PSI/08
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Clinical Psychology (cod. 5962)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

1- assess and plan interventions with older people with mental health dstress

2- assess and plan interventions to support caregivers of frail olders

3- support and train care workers

Course contents

The course is part of the integrated teaching "CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY OF REHABILITATION AND AGING."

The lessons will be held in the first semester (from November to December 2024), at the Cesena teaching site (FC), Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestari." The course will cover the following topics:

1- Aging: life span perspective. Trajectories of change during life span and interactions

3- Prevention and promotion of healthy aging

4- Frailty: assessment and interventions

5- Dementia, the complexity: from disease model to person and relationship centered approach

6- Psychosocial care model for people with dementia : theoretical framework, approach and care context

7-Mental health and aging: delirium, depression, anxiety and psychosis.

8- Clinical Interview and Multidimensional assessment

9- Palliative care, advance care planning and end of life care

10- the family caregiving : conceptual models, psychosocial diagnosis and interventions.

11- institutional care and staff: issues and interventions

Readings/Bibliography

Wang S., Nussbaum A.M. (2017). Pocket guide for Elder Mental health. American Psychiatric Association.

available online:

· Non so cosa avrei fatto oggi senza di te. Manuale per i familiari delle persone con demenza. Regione Emilia-Romagna. www.http://sociale.regione.emilia-romagna.it/documentazione/pubblicazioni/prodotti-editoriali [http://www.http/sociale.regione.emilia-romagna.it/documentazione/pubblicazioni/prodotti-editoriali] .

· Le competenze e le funzioni dello psicologo nell'ambito degli interventi alle persone con demenza e ai loro famigliari. Documento Regione Emilia-Romagna http://sociale.regione.emilia-romagna.it/anziani/temi/alzheimer-e-demenze-senili/documenti-tecnici-attuativi-linee-guida-per-operatori

Updated litterature reviews will be suggested during lectures

Teaching methods

The course will use the following teaching tools:

The classroom lecture will provide basic knowledge on the different topics and methods for interventions

Movies will be used to support knowledge transfer into practice
Case discussions will be also used to discuss clinical practice
Class exercise on planning interventions will be also suggested.

Attendance at lessons is a fundamental part for the acquisition of clinical competences and for the evaluation purposes.

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning will be a single WRITTEN test on Online Exams (EOL), conducted together with the second course of the integrated teaching, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY OF REHABILITATION. The test will have a total duration of 60 minutes and will be structured as follows for each of the two courses: 31 multiple-choice questions (1 point for each correct answer, 0 points for incorrect or unanswered questions).

This exam will evaluate the adequacy of the knowledge acquired regarding the topics of the integrated course and the ability to organize and integrate information, with particular reference to clinical and therapeutic implications.

The inclusion of 31 questions aims to allow the achievement of the maximum grade of 30 with honors (31/31). The final grade will be the sum of the evaluations obtained in the exams of the individual courses that make up the integrated course. Honors will be awarded if obtained in one of the two courses. The exam will be considered passed with a minimum score of 18/30. There are no intermediate tests or prerequisites before taking the final exam.

The written exam will be conducted on the UNIBO EOL platform, so students must bring their own PC, tablet, or other devices, such as a cell phone (PC use is recommended).

Erasmus or exchange program students are invited to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course.

Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders can contact the lecturer and the University Disability and DSA Student Service (http://www.studentidisabili.unibo.it/ ) to agree on appropriate teaching and assessment methods.

Teaching tools

Slide projector
Laptop
role playing and case study

Office hours

See the website of Rabih Chattat