Intro to Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychology applies psychological knowledge to address mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, depression, schizophrenia).
Focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.
Clinical psychologists conduct research on mental disorders' causes, symptoms, and treatments.
Key activities: developing treatments, promoting mental health, prevention programs.

Scientist-Practitioner Model: Integration of research with clinical practice.
Scope includes individuals of all ages, families, agencies, and diverse cultural backgrounds.
Components of clinical psychology:
- Training, education, supervision.
- Evidence-based practice.
- Research, assessment, diagnosis, prevention, intervention, and evaluation of psychological issues.

Clinical Psychology: Deals with anxiety, depression, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders.
Neuropsychology: Relation between brain and behavior; assessment/treatment of cognitive disorders.
Child and Adolescent Psychology: Focuses on developmental issues, learning disabilities, behavioral challenges.
Health Psychology: Involves work in medical settings, chronic illness management, and pain management.
Forensic Psychology: Works in legal contexts; assesses risk and competence of individuals.

A 25-year-old woman experiences severe anxiety that escalates, leading her to seek help. This illustrates the process of recognizing and acting upon symptoms of mental health challenges.

Evaluate various hypotheses about a client's condition through information from multiple sources (friends, family, medical professionals).
Select the most accurate hypotheses to understand the client's issues.
Utilize psychological principles to explain behaviors that may be misunderstood by laypeople.

System Theory: Examines the interconnected biological, psychological, sociopolitical systems influencing mental health.
- Researchers like Bronfenbrenner emphasize the link between micro and macro systems in human development.
Stress and Coping Theory:
- Stressor: Triggers stress responses; can be short-lived or ongoing.
- Coping: Strategies employed to manage stress (problem-focused vs. emotion-focused).

Suggests mental disorders arise from a combination of vulnerability (genetic/psychological) and environmental stressors.
Emphasizes the importance of both predisposition and life experiences in the development of mental health issues.

Adaptive Coping: Seeking support, problem-solving.
Maladaptive Coping: Substance abuse, denial, which can exacerbate stress.
Defense mechanisms are more stable/unconscious; coping mechanisms are flexible/conscious.

Developmental issues and interventions must consider the individual's life stage.
Theoretical frameworks:
- Freud’s Psychosexual Development
- Erikson’s Developmental Stage Theory
- Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
- Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory

Self: Encompasses all aspects of a person, including characteristics and attributes.
Life involves decision-making among various possibilities.
Understanding a client’s self-concept can inform therapy and assessment strategies.

Psychodynamics: Focus on unconscious thoughts, childhood experiences shaping behavior.
Behavioral: Behavior as a learned response through conditioning; focus on observable behaviors.
Cognitive-Behavioral: Interrelationship of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; modification of maladaptive thought patterns.
Humanistic: Emphasis on self-actualization and congruence between real and ideal selves; supports growth and acceptance.