Lectures (LE)
Objectives
Understanding the causes of disorders often facilitates their prevention, treatment, acceptance, and patient cooperation.
Programme
The causes and development of psychological disorders will be examined. The field is very broad. It is useful to frame the problem from an evolutionary perspective. Therefore, we will consider the likely causes of pathology from conception to death. Not only psychiatric disorders will be addressed, but also specific psychological conditions (e.g., violence and its causes).
- Genetic causes of psychiatric disorders
- Prenatal causes (e.g., diseases during pregnancy such as rubella, addictions) and perinatal causes (e.g., birth trauma).
- Attachment, the first year of a child’s life (Spitz), nutrition (e.g., breastfeeding), education.
- Consequences of substance abuse, causes of depression, schizophrenia, trauma and its consequences, PTSD.
- Suicide and its causes.
- Development of personality disorders (temperament and character).
- Inflammation as cause of psychiatric disorders
- From neuroanatomy to symptoms
- Gender differences
Thus, it is a lifetime presentation with in-depth exploration of specific topics. Many other topics can be addressed (e.g., the relationship between depression and early death, the decline of immune defenses in depressed patients, etc.). Additionally, over 200 slides are provided, covering the classic topics of psychopathology with constant references to clinical conditions and real case studies
Exam
Oral Exam
Bibliography
- Allievi Sigmund Freud University Milano (a cura di Francesco Rovetto), Eziologia dei disturbi psichici, ediz. KindleDirectPublishing – Amazon ebook – 6 volumi pubblicati tra il 2019 e il 2023
Prepare one of the six volumes of your choice.