93511 - Theory and Clinimetric Assessment of Mental Health

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will know the theoretical paradigms of mental health as a multidimensional construct and will be able to use the appropriate rating scales for a comprehensive assessment of mental health according to clinimetric criteria.

Course contents

Module of Clinical Psychology (M-PSI/08)

The course will provide students with a comprehensive overview of the following issues:

• Toward a new definition of mental health and its individual and social components.
• Marie Jahoda and the dimensions of positive mental health.
• From positive mental health to the innovative concept of euthymia.
• The transdiagnostic construct of euthymia and its components (e.g., psychological well-being and flexibility, resilience, and consistency).
• The psychological assessment of psychological well-being and euthymia: the WHO-5 and the euthymia scale.
• The clinical utility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
• Clinimetric criteria for the evaluation of PROMs: from psychometrics to clinimetrics.
• The concept of mental pain and its clinimetric evaluation.
• PROMs for the psychological assessment of depression: the Major Depression Inventory.
• PROMs for the evaluation of psychological distress: the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R).
• The clinimetric concept of therapeutic assessment.
• The clinimetric domain of psychosomatics: the revised version of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR-R).
• The clinimetric domain of clinical pharmacopsychology.
• The process of clinical assessment: the role of clinical judgment and observer-rated scales.
• Clinimetric properties of the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HAM-D).

The course will take place during the first semester.

Readings/Bibliography

Module of Clinical Psychology (M-PSI/08)

• Carrozzino D, Vassend O, Bjørndal F, Pignolo C, Olsen LR, Bech P. A clinimetric analysis of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) in general population studies (Denmark, Norway, and Italy). Nord J Psychiatry. 2016 Jul;70(5):374-9.
  
• Carrozzino D, Patierno C, Fava GA, Guidi J. The Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression: A Critical Review of Clinimetric Properties of Different Versions. Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89(3):133-150.
• Carrozzino D, Christensen KS, Cosci F. Construct and criterion validity of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for depression: A clinimetric comparison. J Affect Disord. 2021;283:30-35.
• Carrozzino D, Patierno C, Guidi J, Berrocal Montiel C, Cao J, Charlson ME, Christensen KS, Concato J, De Las Cuevas C, de Leon J, Eöry A, Fleck MP, Furukawa TA, Horwitz RI, Nierenberg AA, Rafanelli C, Wang H, Wise TN, Sonino N, Fava GA. Clinimetric Criteria for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures. Psychother Psychosom. 2021;90(4):222-232.
• Fava GA, Bech P. The Concept of Euthymia. Psychother Psychosom. 2016;85(1):1-5.
• Fava GA, Cosci F, Sonino N. Current Psychosomatic Practice. Psychother Psychosom. 2017;86(1):13-30.
• Fava GA, Tomba E, Bech P. Clinical Pharmacopsychology: Conceptual Foundations and Emerging Tasks. Psychother Psychosom. 2017;86(3):134-140.
• Fava GA, Carrozzino D, Lindberg L, Tomba E. The Clinimetric Approach to Psychological Assessment: A Tribute to Per Bech, MD (1942-2018). Psychother Psychosom. 2018;87(6):321-326.
• Fava GA, Tomba E, Brakemeier EL, Carrozzino D, Cosci F, Eöry A, Leonardi T, Schamong I, Guidi J. Mental Pain as a Transdiagnostic Patient-Reported Outcome Measure. Psychother Psychosom. 2019;88(6):341-349.
• Fava GA, Guidi J. The pursuit of euthymia. World Psychiatry. 2020;19(1):40-50.

Teaching methods

Module of Clinical Psychology (M-PSI/08)

Since the best way to grasp the essence of clinimetrics is to combine readings and didactic sessions with laboratory and/or experiential learning activities, individual and group presentations will be used. Class attendance and active participation are highly recommended, as they are essential elements in the learning process.

Assessment methods

Module of Clinical Psychology (M-PSI/08)

The final exam consists of an oral examination in order to assess the achievement of learning outcomes. The highest mark (30/30), eventually cum laude, will reflect the comprehensiveness, adequacy and full articulation of the answers.

Please note that the final grade will be calculated as a weighted average based on the number of credits and marks obtained in the modules of “Theory and Clinimetric Assessment of Mental Health” and “Psychometric Assessment”.

Teaching tools

Module of Clinical Psychology (M-PSI/08)

Power point presentations will be used and assessment instruments (e.g., self-reported questionnaires and observer-rated scales) illustrated.

Office hours

See the website of Danilo Carrozzino