Psychological Science: CL:Psychosis

See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisites: PSYS 2002; and PSYS 2100 or PSYS 2200 or PSYS 2300 or PSYS 2400 or PSYS 2500.

Prereqs: PSYS 2002 or 2000,and PSYS 2500; Junior and Senior class standing only PSYS majors and minors only PACE students by permission and override. Special Topics courses cannot carry CC designations

“Psychosis” is a term commonly used to describe a broad range of experiences, including auditory hallucinations, like hearing voices, and unusual or extreme thinking, sometimes termed “delusions”. You may associate such experiences with diagnoses like “Schizophrenia.” This course aims to destigmatize and enhance understanding of psychosis. We will focus on understanding psychosis from psychosocial and lived experience perspectives. Students will be supported to practice critical thinking, to develop and explore their own questions about psychosis. Topics will include: etiology of psychosis; the diagnostic model and its limitations; the relevance of structural disparities, culture and race; stigmatization and recovery; learning from lived experience knowledge; psychosocial treatment approaches. This course has a Civic Learning (CL) designation: course content will include guest speakers from the local community and draw on Vermont’s history of recovery- and social justice-oriented approaches to psychosis care. Course goals and objectives include you being able to: 1. Explain the complexity of the individual experience of psychosis 2. Identify different psychosocial factors in the etiology of psychosis 3. Discuss the relevance of structural disparities to psychosis 4. Name examples of recovery and social-justice oriented care in Vermont 5. Dispel stigma about psychosis 6. Identify transferable skills from this course for future study and work contexts

The course structure is in-person classes twice per week, which will include didactic content presented by the instructor, as well as small and large group discussions, student group presentations and guest speakers. Students will participate actively in class by both speaking and listening, including using moments of silence to reflect on learning.

Grades are based on attendance, participation, and assignments (including critical reflective writing, weekly online discussion posts about weekly assigned readings, group presentation).