Emotions Psychopathology

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

When are emotions functional and when are they dysfunctional? What do “flat affect” and “flashbacks” feel like? Is it possible to feel depressed and elated at the same time? Do psychopaths feel fear? This seminar will focus on answering these and similar questions on the linkages between emotional and social processes and how they are (or are not) disrupted in different types of psychopathology. We will begin with a review of the basic emotional processes and contemporary theories of emotions. We will continue with a discussion of methodological issues associated with study of emotion in diverse populations. We will then examine the role of emotions in etiology, presentation and treatment of several mental disorders, including mood disorders (unipolar depression and bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders (phobias and PTSD), schizophrenia, psychopathy, alcohol abuse, and borderline personality disorder. Our class time will include discussion, watching and discussing video case studies and class exercises. Prerequisites: PSYC-001, PSYC-002 and PSYC 151