Psych Eval Diagnosis

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course is foundational for understanding the scope and standards of PMHNP practice, including legal and ethical considerations for safe, empathic, and collaborative mental health care across the lifespan. Students will examine current research evidence related to interactive influences of genetic, biological, psychosocial, and structural factors on vulnerability to, and expression of, mental and substance use disorders. Students will learn how to conduct a psychiatric interview and mental status exam, synthesize data from multiple sources into an integrated biopsychosocial formulation and differential diagnosis, and determine appropriate treatment settings and level of care. Emphasis is placed on using professional psychiatric terminology for formal documentation and verbal communication.