Overview

This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of the history, research methods, classification, assessment, diagnosis, causes (etiology), course, prognosis, and treatment of the mental disorders. Given that there is sufficient literature to warrant a separate course on each disorder, the focus will be limited to gaining a general understanding of the current issues being faced by mental health professionals with respect to the aforementioned overview.

Requirements

Prerequisites

PSYCH 111 General Psychology must be taken and passed before taking this course. 

Required Resources

This course uses a textbook that you must purchase through Perusall. Read the information in the Textbook Information module to learn how to access your textbook. You must use the Perusall textbook in order to complete weekly reading assignments. You cannot use a different version of the textbook and still pass the class.

Reading Resources

Resource Title/Description (books, software, etc.)	Author/Provider	Ed./Vol.	13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
Abnormal Psychology: Contrasting Perspectives.	Raskin, J. D. Macmillan International Higher Education (Red Globe Press)	1st	978-1137547170
Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle with Anorexia.	Brown, H.		Paperback ISBN: 978-0061725487
The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.	Saks, E. R.		Paperback ISBN: 978-1401309442

NOTE: Assignments for Brave Girl Eating and The Center Cannot Hold start in W04, so it is highly recommended that you start reading the books early in the course so that you can get the most out of them and can apply them to what you are learning.

Some students have found it beneficial to access audio book options instead of procuring physical copies of Brave Girl Eating and The Center Cannot Hold. You are welcome to read the book in whatever format will help you learn the content best.

Proctored Exams and Assessments

This course will use an online proctoring software called Proctorio. This makes it possible for you to take assessments and exams without a human proctor present. Proctored exams can be accessed like any other exam, once the software has been installed. Exams will be recorded by Proctorio and reviewed by the BYUI Testing Center. Any questionable exams will be forwarded to the instructor for further review.

Exams are in W03, W07, W10, and W14.

For step-by-step instructions on Proctorio installation, please refer to the Student Help Guide Article for Proctorio.

Course Outcomes (CO)

1. Articulate the differences between “abnormal” and “normal” behavior.
2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of major psychological disorders from a historical, biological, and psychological perspective.
3. Understand and engage the controversial issues and major theoretical explanations of disorders in the field of clinical and counseling psychology.
4. Examine and critique current research on psychological disorders.
5. Describe and compare the effectiveness of various forms of treatment and the importance of competent training. 

Structure

Major Assignments

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes (CO).

Assignments

Major Assignment	Description	CO#
Chapter Readings & Additional Study Method	Use Perusall to read the textbook and teach each other. Use an Additional Study Method (Study Guides and/or PowerPoint) to augment learning.	#1, #2
Additional Readings	Read and respond to two additional books: The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia	#1, #5
Small Group Gatherings	Prepare for and attend a small group meeting.	#3, #4, #5
Exams	Cumulative exams in W03, W07, W10, and W14. Must be taken through Proctorio.	#2

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

Weekly Patterns

Due Date*	Learning Model	Activity Title	Description
Midweek	Prepare and Teach One Another	Chapter Reading & Additional Study Method	Read textbook chapters on Perusall with classmates and use an additional study method to engage with course material. Make comments in the Perusall text to collaborate with your classmates and learn from each other. (This is one of the two places each week where you receive reading points.)
Midweek	Ponder & Prove	Practice Quiz	Complete a quiz that demonstrates your understanding of concepts for the chapter you read that week. (This is one of the two places each week where you can receive reading points.)
Midweek	Prepare	Small Group Gathering Preparation	Prepare for your Small Group Gathering by studying additional materials provided. Come prepared to talk about and refine your answers before submitting your template.
End of Week	Prepare	Additional Reading	Provide a brief response to questions about the reading of two mental health memoirs. These additional readings will occur on the weeks with no exam.
End of Week	Teach One Another	Small Group Gathering	Attend a weekly meeting with an assigned group to discuss topics relating to the chapter reading in Perusall, alternative study method questions, and the Additional Readings. These meetings need to be recorded and will be submitted as a group activity. You will also need to submit your own report about your experience. These small group gatherings will be suspended on exam weeks. You are allowed to miss two Zoom meetings without penalty as long as the alternative assignment is completed and submitted.
End of Week	Ponder & Prove	Exam	Take a cumulative exam on all chapters studied up to that point in the semester. Exams are in W03, W07, W10, and W14.

*Set your time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.

Learning Model

• Prepare: Read textbook chapters, study with additional study materials to engage with the course content in multiple ways, study Additional Reading assignments, and complete preparation for Small Group Gatherings.
• Teach One Another: Read your textbook chapters on Perusall so you can collaborate and learn from each other while reading. Meet regularly in Small Group Gatherings over Zoom to discussion the textbook reading, Study Guide, PowerPoint, Additional Reading assignment, and other Small Group Gathering preparation materials.
• Ponder & Prove: Take weekly chapter quizzes as well as cumulative exams in W03, W07, W10, and W14.

Expectations

Feedback

You can expect to receive grades and feedback within seven days of the due date for all assignments.

Workload

• Chapter Reading (on Perusall) and additional study methods ~4.5 hours
• Chapter Quiz ~30 minutes
• Additional Readings ~1 hour
  • Additional Reading response ~45 minutes
• Small Group Gathering preparation ~15 minutes
• Small Group Gathering meeting ~1 hour 
• Exams (W03, W07, W10, and W14) ~1 hour

Group Work

You will read textbook chapters on Persuall. This will allow you to collaborate with classmates as you read the chapter and use an alternative study method (Study Guide and/or PowerPoint). By the end of week due dates, you will meet in your small groups for a Zoom meeting to discuss the textbook chapter, questions from the Study Guide and/or PowerPoints, thoughts about the Additional Readings, and any other Small Group Gathering materials for that week. The purpose of group work in this course is to help you learn and retain more. If Perusall and the Small Group Gatherings are utilized correctly, you will benefit greatly in learning the course material.

Late Work

Late work is generally not accepted. However, your instructor may extend deadlines if you experience extenuating circumstances. You should contact your instructor to discuss personal or emergency situations as soon as you are aware of them.

Retries 

There are no opportunities for retries. 

Extra Credit

Extra credit is available for one assignment in Week 02. However, that is the only extra credit available in the course.

Grading Scale

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percent
A	100%–93%
A-	92%–90%
B+	89%–87%
B	86%–83%
B-	82%–80%
C+	79%–77%
C	76%–73%
C-	72%–70%
D+	69%–67%
D	66%–63%
D-	62%–60%
F	59% and lower

Contacting Your Instructor

Instructors will inform you of the way they wish to be contacted (text, email, call between these hours, etc). They are people with lives outside of your class; be courteous and respectful of their time. Any abuse will negatively impact your grade and may result in dismissal from the course and/or University.

Contacting Your TA

This course has a TA whom you should contact if you need help installing extra resources required for your course setup (Proctorio, Zoom, Perusall). Your TA will also be participating in Perusall discussions with you to help deepen learning and may be helping your instructor with some light grading tasks.

University Policies

Preventing Sexual Misconduct

BYU-Idaho prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. Prohibited sex discrimination includes incidents of sexual harassment (including sexual violence), dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (collectively “sexual misconduct”).

Disability Services

BYU-Idaho does not discriminate against persons with disabilities in providing its educational and administrative services and programs and follows applicable federal and state law. This policy extends to the University’s electronic and information technologies (EIT).

If you have a qualifying disability, you should contact the Disability Services Office at disabilityservices@byui.edu or 208-496-9210. Additional information about available resources is found on the Disability Services' web page. (Links to an external site.)

Academic Honesty 

“When you are honest in every way, you are able to enjoy peace of mind and maintain self-respect. You build the strength of character, which allows you to be of service to God and others. You are trustworthy in the eyes of God and those around you. If you are dishonest in your words or actions, you hurt yourself and often hurt others as well. If you lie, steal, cheat, or neglect to give the full amount of work for your pay, you lose your self-respect. You lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost” (“Honesty,” True to the Faith (2004), 84)

Academic Honesty means you do your own work. This also means your instructors will evaluate that work. You should not be dishonest—this includes all types of work in your courses. Additional information about the complete Academic Honesty Policy can be found on their webpage at The Honor Code: Academic Honesty Policy (Links to an external site.).

Academic Grievances

You are encouraged to contact your instructors regarding course-related concerns. If concerns cannot be resolved in this way, you may contact the BYU-Idaho Support Center to formally register a concern or grievance. More information regarding online grievances can be found at The Student Online Grievance Policy (Links to an external site.).

Other University Policies

Go to the Student Resources module to review the university policies regarding honesty, online etiquette, communication, expectations, etc.