Course Syllabus

 

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Overview

This is an advanced, three credit undergraduate and graduate course that focuses on the emergence and expression of psychopathology across the lifespan. The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with current knowledge of psychopathology and its etiological origins across all stages of life. We will adopt a strong developmental psychopathology perspective, which is infused throughout the class. According to this perspective, psychopathology cannot be understood as a set of adevelopmental static entities. Rather, patterns of maladjustment that we often refer to as psychopathological almost always emerge from complex transactions between biological vulnerabilities (genetic, neural, hormonal) and environmental risk factors (family coercion, deviant peer group affiliations, neighborhood criminality) over time. Thus, psychopathology occurs in a developing individual, and his or her interpersonal relationships, and cannot be defined, identified, or understood without consideration of the normal course of development. Furthermore, both typical and atypical development reflect influences of a vast array of biological, psychological, and contextual variables transacting across the lifespan. Note that this is not a treatment course, so we will not cover prevention or intervention, except insofar as they inform our understanding of etiology, which is sometimes the case.

Traditionally, courses about psychopathology have been taught by focusing almost exclusively on behaviors displayed by individuals who are diagnosed with different disorders, as defined by the prevailing nomenclature of the time (usually the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This is a descriptive approach that does not account for or explain the causes of mental illness. Although we will cover descriptive aspects of psychopathology, we will spend much more time on neurobiological underpinnings of mental illness and how they interact with environmental risk factors, following from profound advances in psychiatric genetics and neuroimaging that have occurred in the past 15 or so years. These advances make all of our jobs (mine as an instructor and yours as students) more difficult than they once were. However, the payoff is large, as scientific advances are finally being made that are helping us understand the causes of psychopathology. Understanding causes is a a necessary antecedent to effective treatment.    

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Objectives

This course is intended to familiarize you with:

1. Foundational knowledge regarding:
   
   major sources of influence (genetic, neural, hormonal, familial, cultural) on development and ways they transact across the lifespan to promote psychopathology.
   
   research designs and methods used to study psychopathology across the lifespan, and complexities and controversies confronted in doing such research.
   
   major approaches taken to defining and classifying psychopathology across the lifespan, and limitations of each
   
   
2. Major classes of psychopathology including information regarding:
   
   prevalence, epidemiology, morbidity, mortality, and phenomenology.
   
   classification, including relevant Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic categories, factor-analytic approaches, and the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC).
   
   empirically supported etiological theories, including factors that contribute to development, maintenance, progression, and amelioration of psychopathology across the lifespan.

We will make use of lectures, readings, video, course discussion, and weekly discussion forums (see below) to promote mastery of course content. 

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Expected Outcomes

When you complete this course sequence, it is my expectation that you will:

understand major research designs and methods used to study psychopathology, and the strengths and limitations of each.

have knowledge of major approaches to classification of psychopathology (DSM-5, factor analytic models, RDoC), and their attendant strengths and weaknesses. 

be able to describe all major forms of psychopathology covered in this course. Thus, you should have a solid working knowledge of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and associated information for each disorder. You will also be able to describe aspects of each disorder that are not well represented in the DSM. Included in your knowledge should be information about development, epidemiology (e.g., typical age of onset and risk factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status [SES], and physical health factors, familial inheritance patterns, molecular genetic vulnerabilities, course and prognosis, subtypes, and common comorbid conditions).

understand current etiological theories and their supporting evidence (or lack thereof) for each disorder. Where possible, I seek to arrive at an integrative model of developmental pathways to each disorder that include genetic, hormonal, and neural vulnerabilities; familial, social, and cultural risk factors; and their complex interactions across time. 

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Additional Required Readings

In addition to chapters from the Beauchaine and Hinshaw (2017) text, you will sometimes be assigned readings from the psychopathology literature. When not in the assigned text, these can be downloaded by clicking on authors' names in the table below. Please check the list about a week in advance for possible updates. You are expected to read all assigned materials before class, so you are prepared for discussion. 

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Tentative Schedule

(hover over colored text for links to readings, when available) 

WEEK	DATE	TOPIC AND READINGS	NOTES*
1	1/9	Introductions, Course Website, Explanation of Discussion Forum
	1/11	Introduction to Abnormal Psychology: Defining Abnormal Behavior
2	1/16	The Developmental Psychopathology Perspective
		Hinshaw, S. P. (2017). Developmental psychopathology as a scientific discipline: A 21st-Century perspective. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 3-32). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
	1/18	The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: History and Limitations; Feedback on Week 1 Discussion Forum posts (Heather)
		Beauchaine, T. P., & Klein, D. N. (2017). Classifying psychopathology: The DSM, empirically-based taxonomies, and the Research Domain Criteria. In T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 33-67). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
3	1/23	The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)
		Cuthbert, B. N., & Insel, T. R. (2013). Toward the future of psychiatric diagnosis: The seven pillars of RDoC. BMC Medicine, 11, 126. Please also read carefully the following web page: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-priorities/rdoc/constructs/rdoc-matrix.shtml
	1/25	Genes, Epigenetics, and Gene-Environment Interdependence
		Beauchaine, T. P., & Gatzke-Kopp, L. M., & Gizer, I. R. (2017). Genetic, environmental, and epigentic influences on behavior. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 68-109). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
4	1/30	Missing Heritability, Structural Variants, and Stress Regulation
		Doom, J. R., & Gunnar, M. R. (2013). Stress physiology and developmental psychopathology: Past, present, and future. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 1359-1373. Plomin, R., J. (2013). Commentary: Missing heritability, polygenic scores, and gene-environment correlation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 1147-1149.
	2/1	Risk and Resilience in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
		Compas, B., Gruhn, M., & Bettis, A. H. (2017). Risk and resilience in child and adolescent psychopathology. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 113-143). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
5	2/6	Exam Review Session	-
	2/8	IN CLASS MID-TERM EXAM (no online discussion assignment)	-
6	2/13	Child Maltreatment and Risk for Psychopathology
		Jaffee, S. R. (2017). Child maltreatment and risk for psychopathology. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 144-177). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.  Romens, S. E., McDonald, J., Svaren, J., & Pollak, S. D. (2015), Associations between early life stress and gene methylation in children. Child Development, 86, 303-309.
	2/15	Temperamental Vulnerability to Psychopathology I: Impulsivity
		Neuhaus, E., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2017). Impulsivity and vulnerability to psychopathology. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 178-212). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
7	2/20	Allostatic Load and Vulnerability to Psychopathology
		Danese, A., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiology and Behavior, 106, 29-39.
	2/22	Teratogen Exposure, Brain Injury, and Psychopathology
		Doyle, L. R., Crocker, N. A., Fryer, S. L., & Mattson, S. N. (2017). Exposure to teratogens as a risk factor for psychopathology. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 277-315). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.  Arnett, P., Meyer, J. E., Merritt, V. C., Gatzke-Kopp, L. M., & Shannon Bowen, K. E. (2017). Brain injury and vulnerability to psychopathology. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 316-345). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
8	2/27	Emotion Dysregulation and Vulnerability to Psychopathology
		Cole, P. M., Hall, S. E., & Hajal, N. J. (2017). Emotion dysregulation as a vulnerability to psychopathology. In T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 346-386). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
	3/1	Externalizing Spectrum Disorders I: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder
		Nigg, J. (2017). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 407-448). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
9	3/6	Externalizing Spectrum Disorders II: Conduct Disorder, Adult Antisocial Behavior
		Beauchaine, T. P., Zisner, A., & Sauder, C. L. (2017). Trait impulsivity and the externalizing spectrum. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13, 343-368.
	3/8	Externalizing Spectrum Disorders III: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
		Brown, S. A., Tomlinson, K., & Winward, J. (2017). Substance use disorders. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 497-528). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.  Koob, G. F., & Volkow, N. D. (2010). The neurocircuitry of addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews, 35, 217-238.
10	3/12-16	--SPRING BREAK--SPRING BREAK--SPRING BREAK--SPRING BREAK--	-
11	3/20	Exam Review Session	-
	3/22	IN CLASS MID-TERM EXAM (no online discussion assignment)	-
12	3/27	Internalizing Spectrum Disorders I: Anxiety Disorders
		Weems, C. F., & Silverman, W. K. (2017). Anxiety disorders. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 531-559). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
	3/29	Internalizing Spectrum Disorders II: Trauma and Stressor-related Disorders
		Perry, B. D. (2008). Child maltreatment: A neurodevelopmental perspective on the role of trauma and neglect in psychopathology. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (pp. 93-128). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
13	4/3	Internalizing Spectrum Disorders III: Depressive Disorders
		Klein, D. N., Goldstein, B. L., & Finsaas, M. (2017). Depressive disorders. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 610-641). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
	4/5	Internalizing Spectrum Disorders IV: Intentional Self-Injury and Borderline Personality Development
		Crowell, S. E., Kaufman, E. A., & Lenzenweger, M. F. (2017). The development of borderline personality and self-inflicted injury. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 642-679). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
14	4/10	Internalizing Spectrum Disorders IV: Obsessive-Compulsive and Eating Disorders
		Rachman, S. (2002). A cognitive theory of compulsive checking. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 625-639. Stice, E., & Bohon, C. (2013). Eating disorders. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (2nd ed., pp. 765-738). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
	4/12	Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
		Asarnow, R. F. (2017). Childhood-onset schizophrenia. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 783-817). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Owen, M. J., Craddock, N., & Jablensky, A. (2007). The genetic deconstruction of psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33, 905-911.
15	4/17	Bipolar Spectrum Disorders
		Blader, J., Roybal, D. J., Sauder, C. L., & Carlson, G. A. (2017). Bipolar disorder. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 706-744). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
	4/19	Autism Spectrum Disorder
		Faja, S., & Dawson, G. (2017). Autism Spectrum Disorder. In  T. P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 745-782). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
16	4/26	(THUR) IN CLASS FINAL EXAM (2:00-3:45pm; no online discussion assignment)
*When available. Notes render best in Google Chrome.

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Undergraduate Exams

All exams, including the final, will be multiple choice and worth 50 points. Each will contribute 25% to your grade. None will be cummulative. Students are expected to take the exams on the scheduled dates. You must have my permission to miss an exam, and I will only provide it in cases where illness or other documentable problems interfere with your ability to prepare for or complete the exam. In order to be excused for an exam and take a make-up, you must contact me before, not after the exam. Questions regarding exam scores must be raised with me either after class or during office hours; lecture time will not be spent discussing exams. You are responsible for all information covered in the text, readings, and lectures. Sometimes these will overlap, other times they will not. Please do not ask me what will be on the exam. I will not tell you, as that would make it something other than an exam.

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Graduate Exams

All exams, including the final, will consist of essay questions and be worth 50 points. Each will contribute 25% to your grade. Students are expected to take the exams on the scheduled dates. You must have my permission to miss an exam, and I will only provide it in cases where illness or other documentable problems interfere with your ability to prepare for or complete the exam. In order to be excused for an exam and take a make-up, you must contact me before, not after the exam. Questions regarding exam scores must be raised with me either after class or during office hours; lecture time will not be spent discussing exams. You are responsible for all information covered in the text, readings, and lectures. Sometimes these will overlap, other times they will not.

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Web Discussion Forum

 

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Undergraduate Evaluation

Your performance will be evaluated based on your scores on the two mid-term exams (25% each), the final exam (25%), and your participation/thoughtful comments in the web discussions (25%). Each midterm will cover approximately 1/3 of the material in the course. Exams will be multiple choice. Grades will be assigned as outlined in the table below. I may adjust cut-offs downward and thereby increase grades if evidence indicates that exams were more difficult than intended. I will never adjust cut-offs upward.  

A	> 91%
A-	90-91%
B+	88-89%
B	75-87%
B-	70-74%
C+	65-69%
C	55-64%
C-	50-54%
D+	47-49%
D	42-48%
D-	40-41%
F	< 40%

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Additional Writing Requirement for Graduate Students

In addition to these course requirements, graduate students will be assigned a 10-12 page paper (double-spaced; excluding references) in which they discuss the etiology of a disorder of their choice, from a developmental psychopathology perspective. Consistent with the objectives of this course, this paper should address (1) genetic vulnerabilities, neural vulnerabilities, other relevant biological predispositions; (2) environmental risk factors; and (3) how they interact to eventuate in psychopathology. Maximum credit will be given only for papers that are framed transactionally. Topics must be approved by me ahead of time, and are due at the final exam.

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Graduate Evaluation

Graduate students' performance will be evaluated based on your scores on the two mid-term exams (20% each), the final exam (20%), your participation/thoughtful comments in the web discussions (10%), your participation in class discussions (10%), and the quality of your final paper (20%).

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Academic Misconduct

It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term “academic misconduct” includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct (http://studentlife.osu.edu/csc/).

For good, concise, plain-English advice on how to stay out of academic trouble, see Ten Suggestions for Preserving Academic Integrity (http://oaa.osu.edu/coamtensuggestions.html).

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Sexual Misconduct

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories (e.g., race). If you or someone you know has been sexually harassed or assaulted, you may find the appropriate resources at http://titleix.osu.edu, or by contacting the Ohio State Title IX Coordinator, Kellie Brennan, at titleix@osu.edu. 

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Students with Disabilities

The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. You are also welcome to register with Student Life Disability Services (SLDS) to establish reasonable accommodations.  After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. SLDS contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614.292.3307; slds.osu.edu; 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue.

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