00867 - Psychiatry (LZ)

Learning outcomes

The Psychiatry course provides students with the knowledge and competencies required to recognize the major mental disorders and to formulate appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic management plans.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the principles of the psychiatric interview, psychopathology, and the major psychiatric disorders commonly encountered in both hospital and community-based medical practice. They will understand the relationship between mental disorders and medical or surgical conditions, the principles of psychosomatic medicine, and the role of consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Students will be able to recognize and diagnose the most common mental disorders and will have acquired a basic understanding of the main subspecialties of psychiatry, including addiction psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, and eating disorders.

With regard to treatment, students will be able to establish an effective therapeutic relationship with patients, prescribe and monitor psychotropic medications appropriately within the competencies expected of a medical graduate, and demonstrate an introductory understanding of psychodynamic psychiatry.

Students will also acquire knowledge of the legal and ethical framework relevant to psychiatric practice and of the organization of mental health services in Italy, enabling them to collaborate effectively with both community and hospital-based specialist mental health services.

Finally, students will acquire an understanding of the biopsychosocial model of mental disorders and of the principles of psychosocial interventions and psychiatric rehabilitation.

Course contents

Part I

• The burden of mental disorders in the general population
• Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Depressive Disorders
• Substance Use Disorders and Behavioural Addictions
• Treatment of Mental Disorders: Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy

Part II

• Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Related Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Related Disorders
• Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Organization of Community Mental Health Services

Part III

• Personality Disorders
• Mental Disorders in Older Adults
• Psychiatric Emergencies
• Suicide and Self-Harming Behaviours
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation and the Recovery Paradigm
• Mental Health Legislation: Involuntary Treatment

Readings/Bibliography

Rossi A, Amore M, Carpiniello B, Fagiolini A, Maina G, Vita A. Manuale di Psichiatria. Edizioni EDRA, 2019.

Further reading:

Sadock BJ, Sadock VA, Ruiz P. Kaplan & Sadock’s Sinossi di Psichiatria. Piccin, 2018.

Smith RC, D’Mello D, Osborn GG, Freilich L, Dwamena FC, Laird-Flick H. Essentials of Psychiatry in Primary Care: Behavioral Health in the Medical Setting. McGraw-Hill, 2019.

Teaching materials (including lecture slides, supplementary reading, and other learning resources) are available on Virtuale – the University of Bologna's Virtual Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it ), the University's online platform supporting teaching and learning activities.

Teaching methods

Lectures supplemented by the discussion of illustrative clinical cases.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of an oral examination covering the topics addressed during the course and included in the recommended psychiatry textbook listed in the bibliography.

The examination is designed to assess students' ability to apply their knowledge and to integrate concepts through logical and critical reasoning in order to recognize psychopathological signs and symptoms, diagnose common mental disorders, formulate an appropriate treatment plan, or collaborate effectively with specialist mental health professionals.

Marking criteria

• 18–21 (Pass): Knowledge is limited to a restricted number of course topics. Analytical skills emerge only with guidance from the examiner. Appropriate but basic use of psychiatric terminology.
• 22–25 (Satisfactory): Knowledge covers a limited range of course topics. Students demonstrate autonomous analytical skills only in relatively straightforward situations and use appropriate psychiatric terminology.
• 26–29 (Good to Very Good): Knowledge covers a broad range of course topics. Students demonstrate the ability to perform independent critical analysis and show good command of psychopathological terminology.
• 30–30 with honours (Excellent): Comprehensive knowledge of the course topics. Students demonstrate excellent critical thinking, the ability to integrate concepts and establish meaningful connections, full command of psychopathological terminology, and well-developed reasoning and reflective skills.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support service (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti ) as early as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations. Requests for examination accommodations must be submitted to the course instructor at least 15 days before the examination date. The instructor will determine the appropriateness of the requested accommodations in light of the intended learning outcomes and assessment objectives.

Teaching tools

The following resources are available on Virtuale (https://virtuale.unibo.it ), the University of Bologna's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE):

• PowerPoint presentations of the lectures;
• Supplementary learning materials for further study of selected topics;
• Recommended bibliographic references and online resources.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Menchetti