Psychology 3316G-001

Psychological Trauma

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

This course covers the psychobiological theories and research aimed at helping us understand the diversity of human responses to traumatic life experiences, including sexual assault, childhood maltreatment and war.

 

Antirequisite: Psychology 3390G if taken in 2012/13 or 2013/14

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

 

Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and 2810

3 seminar hours, 0.5 course

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.


2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

       Instructor: Paul Frewen, PhD, C.Psych                    

       Office and Phone Number: University Hospital B3-264, 519-685-8500 x77760

       Office Hours: By Appointment                     

       Email: pfrewen@uwo.ca                               

           

       Teaching Assistant: Colleen Cutler                

       Email: ccutler5@uwo.ca                                         

 

       Time and Location of Classes: Thursdays 7-10pm in SSC-3026      


If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you.  Please visit:  http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Note: Online Library Resource, there is NO NEED to purchase individually:

 

Gold, S. N. (2017). APA Handbook of Trauma Psychology Volume 1. Washington: American Psychological Association.

 

Gold, S. N. (2017). APA Handbook of Trauma Psychology Volume 2. Washington: American Psychological Association.

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

Understand response to traumatic life events and treatment of posttraumatic responses in terms of fundamental psychological principles (e.g., memory, emotion), informed by the New Haven Consensus Conference Conclusions on Core Competencies in Psychological Trauma training (see Textbook Volume 1 Chapter 9).


   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Apply fundamental psychological principles (e.g., memory, emotion) toward understanding posttraumatic responses.

 

Identify etiological relationship between psychological trauma exposure and psychological disorders.

 

Recognize various treatment approaches for trauma-related disorders (e.g., PTSD).

 

5.0     EVALUATION

PLEASE NOTE:  Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations (http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2017/pg108.html), you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

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Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:


70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf ):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail



6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

There will be 3 non-cumulative exams, each worth 25% of students’ final grade, the first 2 scheduled during lecture hours on February 8 and March 8, and the third scheduled during the April examination period (April 14-30). The final 25% of students’ final grade will be based on an essay and poster presentation, both due April 5.

Please use course templates to complete the essay and poster presentations. This assignment will be based on the concept of trauma-related disorders partly as introduced in Vol1-Ch14 Other Disorders Often Associated With Psychological Trauma.


7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

PART

LECTURE

DATE

TOPIC

CHAPTERS

1

1

Jan 11

Introduction

Vol1-Ch2 Defining Trauma

Vol1-Ch10 Acute Stress Disorder and PTSD

1

2

Jan 18

Introduction

1

3

Jan 25

Gender, Family, Culture

Vol1-Ch4 Trauma and PTSD Prevalence and Sociodemographic Characteristics

1

4

Feb 1

Gender, Family, Culture

1

Feb 8

EXAM 1

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2

5

Feb 15

Psychological Processes and Disorders 1

Vol1-Ch15 Complex Trauma and Complex PTSD

Vol1-Ch11 Depression and Complicated Grief 

Feb 22

SPRING READING WEEK,

NO CLASS

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2

6

Mar 1

Psychological Processes and Disorders 2

Vol1-Ch16 Trauma and Memory

Vol1-Ch13 Dissociation as a Trauma-Related Phenomenon

2

7

Mar 8

EXAM 2

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2

Mar 15

Psychological Treatment

Vol2-Ch1Trauma Practice: Historical Overview 

3

7

Mar 22

Psychological Treatment

Vol2-Ch11 Emotion Regulation and Skills-Based Interventions

Vol2-Ch12 Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Treatment of Trauma

3

8

Mar 29

Psychobiological Treatment

Vol2-Ch10 Central Autonomic Network in Trauma Treatment

Vol2-Ch17 Psychopharmacological Treatment of Traumatization

Vol1-Ch23 Genetic and Biological Underpinnings and Consequences of Trauma

Apr 5

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

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---

Apr 12

STUDY DAY, NO CLASS

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3

EXAM PERIOD

EXAM 3

8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.



9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2017/pg954.html 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html


10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2017 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.