3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Describes the basic features of mental disorders using an epistemological framework that facilitates understanding in the context of public health research and practice. Includes discussion of the distinction between neurological activity and mental life, and briefly presents the historical as well as current state of knowledge of the most common psychiatric conditions. Framework includes four fundamental perspectives for understanding mental disturbances: disease, dimension, behavior, and life story, with explanation of the distinct etiopathologic nature each perspective brings to bear on the problem of defining, classifying, and measuring mental disorders.