PSB_114 Psychopathology: approaching an understanding (level 1)

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2009
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Michael Friedrich, MSc (lecturer), PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jarmila Valchářová
Timetable
Wed 11:40–13:15 C51
Prerequisites
The course will be taught in English. The course will be only offered to students of psychology. The maximum number of students is 25.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course explores factors which contribute to the development of psychopathology. This includes: genetics, loss, abuse, dysfunctional socialisation and choice of dysfunctional coping strategies. Knowledge of these factors can help in formulating an understanding of the patient/client during the process of clinical work.
Syllabus
  • 1. The formation of the mind.
  • In this seminar we will explore some of the hypotheses about factors which may contribute to the formation of the mind.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Bateman, A. & Holmes, J. (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis, contemporary theory and practice. Chapter 2: Models of the mind, pp. 27-48. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Fordham, F. (1953). Jung’s Psychology. Chapter 2: Psychological Types, pp. 29-46. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
  • 2. Developmental processes.
  • We will explore here some of the theories about the processes involved in the development of our internal world – particularly during childhood.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Bateman, A. & Holmes, J. (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis, contemporary theory and practice. Chapter 3: Origins of the internal world, pp. 49-75. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Bollas, C. (1991). Forces of Destiny. Chapter 2: The Destiny Drive.
  • 3. Mechanisms of defence.
  • We will explore here some ideas about the way in which we attempt to defend ourselves from unpleasant thought, memories and feelings.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Bateman, A. & Holmes, J. (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis, contemporary theory and practice. Chapter 4: Mechanisms of defence, pp. 76-94. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Freud, S. (1894). The Neuro-Psychoses of Defence. In The Standard Edition, vol. 3, pp. 46-61. London: The Hogarth Press.
  • 4. Loss, abandonment, fostering and adoption.
  • In this seminar we will explore processes of loss and ways in which these processes may affect people.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Klein, J. (1987). Our Need for Others and its Roots in Infancy.
  • Chapter 16: Inadequate environment and fragile self, pp. 304-319.
  • Chapter 17: Basic faults as the cause of splits, pp. 320-342. London: Routledge.
  • 5. Emotional and physical abuse.
  • We will attempt to understand processes associated with emotional and physical abuse.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Hirigoyen, M.F. (1998). Stalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse and the Erosion of Identity. Chapter 1: Emotional Abuse in Private Life, pp. 13-50. New York: Helen Marx Books.
  • 6. Sexual abuse.
  • In this seminar we will attempt an understanding of processes associated with sexual abuse – both for the perpetrator and victim and the system they inhabit.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Cahill, C., Llewelyn, S.P. & Pearson, C. (1991). Long-term effects of sexual abuse which occurred in childhood: A review. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 117-130.
  • Channing L. Bete Co. (1987). About Adults Abused as Children.
  • Steiner, J. (1993). Psychic Retreats – Pathological Organizations in Psychotic, Neurotic and Borderline Patients. Chapter 8: The relationship to reality in psychic retreats, pp. 88-102. London & New York: Routledge.
  • 7. Family culture.
  • We will explore here the ways in which family culture may contribute to the formation of the internal world.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Holmes, J. (1993). Between Art and Science: Essays in Psychotherapy and Psychiatry. Chapter 8: Psychoanalysis and family therapy: Freud’s Dora reconsidered, pp. 98-110. Chapter 9: Phobia and counterphobia: family aspects of agoraphobia, pp. 111-124. London: Routledge.
  • 8. Defensive responses associated with affronts.
  • In this seminar we will attempt to understand ways in which people feel affronted, hurt and offended and how that has led them to a particular style of relating.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Bollas, C. (2000). Hysteria. Chapter 11: The Malignant Hysteric, pp. 127-145. London: Routledge.
  • Storr, A. (1979, 1990 paperback ed). The Art of Psychotherapy. Chapter 9: The Hysterical Personality, pp. 82-92. London: Secker & Warburg.
  • 9. Defensive responses associated with depression.
  • We will attempt to understand the ways in which loss, abuse and neglect may contribute to depression and what defensive responses people may use with regard to depression.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Freud, S. (1955 ed). On Metapsychology. Mourning and Melancholia (1917), pp. 245-268. London: Penguin.
  • Storr, A. (1979, 1990 paperback ed). The Art of Psychotherapy. Chapter 10: The Depressive Personality, pp. 93-113. London: Secker & Warburg.
  • 10. Control and avoidance.
  • This seminar is about the ways in which people tend to use control and avoidance to try to calm down difficult feelings and how this control and avoidance can affect their lives.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Storr, A. (1979, 1990 paperback ed). The Art of Psychotherapy. Chapter 11: The Obsessional Personality, pp. 113-124. London: Secker & Warburg.
  • Wolff, H., Bateman, A. & Sturgeon, D. (1990). UCH Textbook of Psychiatry: an integrated approach. Chapter 16: The Psychoneuroses, pp. 154-170. London: Duckworth.
  • 11. Cut off from feelings, thinking and relating.
  • In this seminar we will discuss the processes associated with the defence strategies of being cut off from feeling, thinking and relating. We will mainly explore schizoid and somatising processes.
  • Recommended reading:
  • McDougall, J. (1990. Plea for a measure of abnormality. Chapter 11: Psychic Pain and the Psychosoma, pp. 421-452. London: Free Association Books.
  • Storr, A. (1979, 1990 paperback ed). The Art of Psychotherapy. Chapter 12: The Schizoid Personality, pp. 125-141. London: Secker & Warburg.
  • 12. Taking risks with feeling, thinking and relating.
  • Here we will discuss two literary examples of ways of managing feeling, thinking and relating.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Dostoevsky, F. (1864). Notes from Underground. (A Norton Critical Edition, 2nd ed.). New York & London: W.W. Norton & Company.
  • Symington, N. (1993). Narcissism: a new theory. Chapter 8: The reversal of narcissism, pp. 81-94. London: Karnac Books.
  • 13. What causes psychopathology?
  • In this seminar we will draw together themes from the series of seminars and we will attempt to understand some underlying factors which might contribute to psychopathology.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Bateman, A. and Holmes, J. (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis, contemporary theory and practice. Chapter 10: Psychoanalytic contributions to psychiatry, pp. 212-242. London and New York: Routledge.
Literature
  • Bateman, A. and Holmes, J. (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis, contemporary theory and practice. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Storr, A. (1979). The Art of Psychotherapy. London: Secker and Warburg.
  • Copies of individual papers relating to specific topics will be given to the students during the course.
Teaching methods
The knowledge, skills and abilities contained within the objectives of this course will be taught using direct teaching of theory, seminar discussion of this theory, discussion of clinical presentations, role play as therapist in relation to verbatim accounts of therapy sessions and discussion of DVD and video material.
Assessment methods
Assessment Methods
The course will be assessed by a written essay, which will enable the students to demonstrate their grasp of the objectives of the course and the relationship and interaction of the elements within these objectives.

The course will also be assessed by a written test in the classroom which will evaluate the student’s ability to grasp the course content in a similar way to that described above.

The essay and test will be in English.

Requirements and course enrolment limitations
The course will be taught in English. The course will only be offered to students of Psychology. The maximum number of students is 25.

Students are required to attend 80% of classes to pass the course.
Language of instruction
English
Follow-Up Courses
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2010, Spring 2012, Autumn 2012, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2009, recent)
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