Mental Health and Mental Disorders in Adulthood

This course will present the state-of-the-art knowledge and research of mental disorders of adults and the elderly, as well as factors that promote mental health and prevent mental disorders in adults and the elderly. Biopsychosocial theories of coping, trauma, and etiology, the impact of mental health disorders on individuals and family members, and the relationship of ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression) marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation to mental health will be presented. Classification systems of adult mental functioning and mental disorders will be presented, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) and Person-in-Environment (PIE). Students will be taught to critically understand both the strengths and limitations of these classification systems.