At the end of the course the student should have acquired:
a) the ability to distinguish and evaluate the various personality disorders on the basis of DSM-5 and PDM-2 through familiarization with psychodiagnostic interviews and questionnaires
b) the ability to understand and evaluate dissociation as an integration disorder (Scalabrini) and dissociation as different from repression (Mucci), its association with disorganized attachment (Liotti) and the effects of trauma beyond the diagnosis (Mucci & Scalabrini)
c) a basic knowledge of the state of the art of the relevance of the evaluation of self and others (relationality) for the diagnosis of personality disorders and their neuroscientific correlates
d) a basic knowledge of how to evaluate personality disorder and organization through the structural interview (Kernberg)
e) a basic knowledge of Transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP), created by Otto Kernberg
f) a basic knowledge of how to evaluate Mentalization
g) a basic knowledge of Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), developed by Peter Fonagy
No prerequisites required
The course includes lectures and discussions on assigned material.
Case studies will be analyzed to develop a psychodiagnostic mindset, using various assessment tools to formulate diagnoses and plan interventions.
The evaluation will be conducted through an oral examination, aimed at assessing the student's actual understanding of the material studied, their ability to critically discuss the topics covered, and the extent to which the intended learning outcomes have been achieved.
There will be no interim assessments prior to the final exam at the end of the course.
The minimum passing grade is 18 out of 30, while the highest possible grade is 30 out of 30 with honors (cum laude).
Psychodynamic diagnosis of personality disorders and personality organization according to DSM-5 and PDM-2.
Difference between categorical and dimensional approach in personality diagnosis through the use of interviews and questionnaires.
Assessment of attachment, effects of traumatic experiences, levels of dissociation in different personality disorders.
Assessment of personality through the structural clinical interview.
Neuroscientific and psychodynamic advances in the development and assessment of the self and the relationship.
Theory and treatments for personality disorders with particular emphasis on transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP, Kernberg) and mentalization-based treatment (MBT, Fonagy).
Erasmus students, or those coming from other degree courses, are requested to contact the professor as soon as possible to agree on a suitable program.
There is no real differentiation in the study load for attending and non-attending students. However, some instructions for attending students may be given during the lessons.
If the teaching is taught in a mixed or distance mode, changes may be introduced to what is stated in the syllabus to make the course and exams accessible also in these ways.
