What do we know about psychological disorders and their treatment?

The DSM identifies many specific psychological disorders. While research has found that in general, no one type of therapy is substantially better than others, different treatments may be more appropriate for specific disorders. In this project, you are asked to choose a psychological disorder that is of interest to you. You will describe the disorder in detail, indicate what is known about its causes and progression, and identify a treatment or treatments that would be most appropriate.

As you complete this project, think about the following:

• What do we know about psychological disorders and their treatment?
• Which disorder am I interested in writing about?

At the end of this activity, you will:

• Have a clear idea of what you will write about for the course project
• Develop a treatment plan for the chosen disorder

At the end of Module 5 you will be required to submit a course project on psychological disorders and their treatment. You will be asked to choose one of the following:

1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
3. Major Depressive Disorder
4. Bipolar Disorder
5. Schizophrenia

You should start thinking about which disorder you would like to cover. After choosing a disorder, read the associated module in the textbook and choose an appropriate therapy or therapies for that disorder from the following choices:

1. Psychoanalysis
2. Humanistic Therapy
3. Behavioral Therapy (you may choose combined Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)
4. Cognitive Therapy (you may choose combined Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)
5. Drug Therapies