Psychological Assessment and Therapies in Childhood and Adolescence

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The subject “Psychological Assessment and Treatment in Infancy and Adolescence” is aimed at providing students with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge required to develop a series of competences for the assessment and treatment of the psychological problems most commonly encountered in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

1. To acquire a knowledge, develop attitudes and competences, enabling the assessment of the main psychological problems of children and adolescents.
2. To acquire a knowledge, develop attitudes and competences, enabling the cognitive–behavioural treatment of the main psychological problems of children and adolescents.

I: Introduction. Historical and conceptual aspects
Unit 1. Historical evolution and development of clinical child psychology
Unit 2. Characteristics of psychological assessment and treatment in childhood and adolescence

II: Psychological assessment and treatment of the main clinical disorders of childhood and adolescence.
Unit 3. Psychological assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders.
Unit 4. Psychological assessment and treatment of depressive disorders.
Unit 5. Psychological assessment and treatment of behavioural problems.
Unit 6. Psychological assessment and treatment of hyperactivity disorder.
Unit 7. Psychological assessment and treatment of sleep disorders.
Unit 8. Psychological assessment and treatment of nutritional behaviour disorders.
Unit 9. Psychological assessment and treatment of addictive behaviours.

Basic bibliography
Caballo, V. y Simón, M. A. (2021). Manual de psicología clínica infantil y del adolescente: Trastornos generales. Pirámide.
Vallejo, M. A. (1998). Manual de terapia de conducta (Vol II). Dykinson.

Complementary bibliography
Bragado, C. (1999). Enuresis infantil. Un problema con solución. Madrid: Pirámide.
Buela-Casal G. y Sierra, J. (2001). Los trastornos del sueño: evaluación, tratamiento y prevención en la infancia y la adolescencia. Pirámide.
Buendía, J. (2005). Psicopatología en niños y adolescentes: Desarrollos actuales. Pirámide
*Comeche, Mª. I. y Vallejo, M. A. (2016, 3ª edic.). Manual de terapia de conducta en la infancia. Dykinson.
Echeburúa, E. y Corral, P. (2009). Trastornos de ansiedad en la infancia y adolescencia. Pirámide.
Fernández-Zúñiga, A. y De León, M. (2014). Habilidades del terapeuta de niños y adolescentes. Pirámide.
*Fonseca Pedrero, E. (2021). Manual de tratamientos psicológicos: Infancia y adolescencia. Ed. Pirámide
García Vera, M.P. y Sanz, J. (2016). Tratamiento de los trastornos depresivos y de ansiedad en niños y adolescentes. Pirámide.
Gavino, A. (1998). Problemas de alimentación en el niño: Manual práctico para su prevención y tratamiento (2ª. ed.). Pirámide.
Herbert, M. (1987). Los problemas de los niños. Una guía práctica para prevenirlos o tratarlos. Planeta.
Larroy, C. y Puente, M.L. (1997). El niño desobediente. Estrategias para su control (3ª. ed). Pirámide.
Macià, D. (2002). Problemas cotidianos de la conducta en la infancia. Pirámide.
Macià, D. (2003). Un adolescente en mi vida. Pirámide.
Méndez, F. X. (1998). El niño que no sonríe: estrategias para superar la tristeza y la depresión infantil. Pirámide.
Méndez, F. X. (1999). Miedos y temores en la infancia. Pirámide.
Méndez, F.X., Espada, J.P. e Orgilés, M. (Coord.) (2006). Terapia Psicológica con niños y adolescentes: Estudio de casos clínicos. Pirámide
Méndez, F.X. y Macià, D. (1990). Modificación de conducta con niños y adolescentes. Libro de casos. Pirámide.
Míguez, M.C. (2006). Emociones y sentimientos. Nova Galicia Edicións.
Moreno, I. (1998). Hiperactividad: prevención, evaluación y tratamiento (3ª. ed.). Pirámide.
Moreno, I. (2002). Terapia de conducta en la infancia: guía de intervención. Pirámide.
Pérez, M., Fernández Hermida, J.R., Fernández, C. , Amigo, I. (2003). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces III. Infancia y adolescencia. Pirámide.
Servera, M. (2002). Intervención en los trastornos del comportamiento infantil: una perspectiva conductual de sistemas. Pirámide
Stallard, P. (2007). Pensar bien-sentirse bien. Manual práctico de terapia cognitivo-conductual para niños y adolescentes. Desclée de Brouwer.

COMPETENCES OF THE PROGRAM TO WHICH THE SUBJECT CONTRIBUTES
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the functions, characteristics, contributions and limitations of the diverse theoretical models for Psychology.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic laws of psychological processes.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the main processes and stages of psychological development throughout the life span regarding normal and abnormal development.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the research methods and designs as well as the different procedures for data analysis in Psychology.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the main methods for psychological assessment, diagnosis and treatment in the different fields of Psychology: Clinical and Health, Social, and Educational Psychology.
• To be able to identify the target recipients’ needs and to set appropriate goals for different fields of Psychology.
• To be able to identify the most relevant traits of individuals, groups, organizations and contexts by using appropriate psychological techniques and instruments.
• To promote health and life quality through professional psychological methods in groups, communities and organizations in the different fields of Psychology: educational, clinical and health, work and organizational, group and community contexts.
• To be able to select and apply adequate and specific psychological intervention procedures and instruments.
• To be able to set goals and to plan intervention procedures according to recipients’ needs and demands and to be able to assess intervention results.
• To be able to communicate the results of psychological assessment to recipients in a proper and accurate way.
• To elaborate psychological reports addressed to professionals and other recipients in the different professional fields.
• To conform with the deontological duties of Psychology.


SPECIFIC
Knowledge-related (to know and understand)
• The ability to use behavioural and cognitive–behavioural models to understand the behaviour of children and adolescents.
• The ability to apply the fundamental laws governing the different psychological processes (learning, motivation, emotion) to the psychological treatment of children and adolescents.
• The ability to use available knowledge about the processes and stages of normal and abnormal psychological development until late adolescence for the psychological treatment of children and adolescents.
• The ability to use available knowledge about psychological functions and the biological bases of behaviour for the psychological treatment of children and adolescents.
• The ability to apply the psychosocial principles of the behaviour of individuals to the psychological treatment of children and adolescents.
• The ability to use the typical research methods and designs, and data processing techniques, of Psychology to assess the efficiency of psychological treatments for psychological problems in children and adolescents.
• A sound knowledge and understanding of available methods for psychological assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents.

SKILLS
• The ability to identify the needs and demands of children and adolescents in the personal, family and school areas, and to establish pertinent therapeutic objectives in each case.
• The ability to identify the behavioural traits of children and adolescents via interviews and other psychological assessment methods (observation, questionnaires).
• The ability to develop mental health prevention and promotion programmes for children and adolescents.
• The ability to select and use psychological diagnosis, assessment and treatment techniques for the different psychological problems encountered in children and adolescents.
• The ability to define therapeutic objectives, select appropriate techniques, plan and organize the course and development of each treatment, and assess the outcome.
• The ability to communicate in appropriate terms assessment results to both children and their parents or guardians.
• The ability to read comprehensively and extract relevant information from case studies dealing with various psychological problems in children and adolescents, and to deliver it in written form to patients, their parents and other professionals (psychiatrists, teachers).
• The ability to identify the ethical and deontological aspects of therapeutic practice with children and adolescents.

Exhibition sessions. Its purpose will be to introduce the fundamental theoretical contents of the program themes. In these sessions will be provide the basic and complementary bibliography for each topic.

Interactive sessions. Its purpose is to carry out different applied activities related to the subjects of the subject. Clinical case studies or audiovisual documentation and other practical activities such as report writing, design and planning of the process of assessment and intervention of cases, training of different skills through role-playing and interview practice and relaxation training, among others, with a child/adolescent will be carried out.

The evaluation of the knowledge in relation to the contents of the subject will be carried out with a test consisting in three-choice questions with only one right answer. The score will be calculated as follows: score = [right answers – (wrong answers/2)].The mark obtained in the exam accounts for 70% of the final grade.
The practical classes (interactive sessions and practical activities) will be evaluated through the work done in them (reports and / or active participation). The mark obtained accounts for 30% of the final grade
In order to pass the subject, as well as to be able to add up the marks of the practicals, it is necessary to pass the exam.The overall subject mark will be obtained by adding up the scores of the exam (70%) and the performance of all practical activities that will be considered as continuous formative evaluation (30%).
In case of not taking the exam, the grade will be No Show.
In the case of students who are excused from class attendance, the evaluation will be based on the mark obtained in the exam (70%) plus the practical activities (30%) they have done.

In order to gain the 4.5 ETCS credits of this subject, students should allocate at least 112.5 hours to it to distributed as follows:
In addition to the 39.5 hours dedicated to in-class activities (teaching and evaluation), the out-of-class work is estimated at approximately 73 hours: 48 hours for reading and studying materials and 25 hours for the preparation of clinical cases and other activities

• Regularly attending in-class sessions.
• Taking an active role in them.
• Keeping up with work on the subject and completing the assigned tasks.