SOWK 640 Psychopathology & Addictions

Psychopathology and Addictions exposes students to mental health diagnoses and addictive behavior. Students gain an understanding of the use of the DSM-5 and the ICD 10 in social work practice. Students will learn the basics of diagnosis.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Social workers respect the dignity and worth of the person. Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment planning are components of engaging in social work practice with a mental health focus that respect individual differences and promote an individual’s right to self-determination. The student will advance knowledge, values, and skills necessary for social work in mental health settings. Skills will include assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment planning.    

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 400 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and include at least 2 scholarly sources. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to the threads of at least 2 classmates. Each reply must be at least 200 words and include at least 2 scholarly sources and at least 1 biblical Scripture or principle. The student will engage with content from the required prompts to critically think through assessment, diagnosis, diverse treatment modalities, and theoretical frameworks. The student will have the opportunity to integrate biblical integration within each thread and reply. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F)

Self-Report Assessment Tool: Psychopathological Assessment and Treatment Measurement Implications Assignment

The student will choose and analyze a self-report survey, which is an informal assessment technique where respondents provide subjective input. This method can yield valuable information for clinical evaluation, treatment planning in terms of measuring progress, and research. For this assignment, students will select a DSM-5-TR diagnostic category or pathology, identify an appropriate self-report assessment tool used to help evaluate this condition, and explore how it can be helpful in assessment and in treatment planning to measure a client’s progress. (CLO: B, C, D, E)

Case Study Report Assignment

The student will write a 3–4-page case report based on either an anonymous real-life case or a celebrity case involving psychopathology, such as addictions. The report will include client demographics, psychosocial and psychiatric assessment, symptom evaluation, a diagnostic assumption, and a basic treatment framework using diverse modalities tailored to the client’s condition, risk level, and goals. The student will reflect on how faith can help a client face challenges and complement psychological interventions. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Case Study: Diagnosis with Justification Assignment

The student will write a 3–4-page report that integrates their Case Study Report Assignment to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.) (DSM-5-TR for short) (American Psychiatric Association, 2022), and the International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th ed.) (ICD-11 for short) (World Health Organization, 2019). The student will critically think through these resources to accurately diagnose their client, with attention toward symptom identification, aligning with professional standard classification systems. The student will also demonstrate biblical integration as it relates to clients of faith who are facing ongoing mental health struggles. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Case Study: Diagnosis with Treatment Planning Assignment

Using the same case from the Case Study Report Assignment and the Case Study: Diagnosis with Justification Assignment, the student will write a 3–5-page report a developing detailed treatment plan within a professional clinical context, emphasizing a holistic and evidence-based approach. The student will craft SMART (specific, measurable, realistic, and time-bound) short-term and long-term goals tailored to the client’s needs, utilizing assessment tools and scales to monitor progress. The student will select the appropriate treatment site, justifying modalities such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or medication with scholarly support, and integrate theoretical perspectives like cognitive-behavioral or biopsychosocial models. Emphasis is placed on understanding and applying specific therapeutic techniques within a chosen framework, all while incorporating biblical principles to inform ethical and compassionate client care. By the end, students are equipped to develop ethically sound, culturally sensitive, and biblically integrated treatment plans grounded in current research and theory. The student will also write a brief statement on how personal understanding of faith influences their own approach to treatment planning and care. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F) 

Quizzes (2)

There will be a Quiz: Mid-Semester: Chapters 1-8 and Quiz: Final: Chapters 9-15, which will cover the Learn material for the assigned modules. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 25 multiple-choice questions, and have no time limit. The student will have 2 attempts to complete each quiz with the highest attempt counted as the final grade.