Hello! I am a first year professor teaching at a health care oriented college looking for advice on textbook selection. Our previous abnormal psych professor is retiring early due to sudden health concerns, and I have been asked to take over his abnormal course for the next couple semesters, even though my background and focus is comparative psych and neuroscience (behavioral endocrinology). He was using "Psychopathology: Science and Practice (12e)" by Comer and Comer, but I personally feel that text leans a little too heavy into theories (especially with regard to Freudian and Psychodynamics) for a sophomore level psych course catered to nursing and pre-med students. I am instead looking for a text that emphasizes how to recognize different disorders (including DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria), how they are commonly treated, and prevalence of disorders (including diversity/cross cultural breaks downs). The ideal text would also discuss major research and concerns in the field (e.g., history of ADHD research focusing in boys and contributing to underdiagnosis in females until recent years, etc.). I have been considering "Abnormal Psych: An Integrated Approach (8e)" by Barlow, Durand, and Hoffman, but am open to feedback and other recommendations. Thanks!

I am looking to apply to graduate programs in clinical psychology this fall. Does anyone have recommendations for researchers who focus on pathological narcissism that I should check out?

Any tips are appreciated.

If I were raped and/or abused every day by my husband in a country where this is legal, I would develop severe mental health problems, like PTSD and depression. How is the suicide rate among women in these countries not extremely high?

Like when they were hung and afterwards received medical attention.

The idea is that a lot of people who attempted suicide and failed realized they actually don't want to die.

Was there something like that?

To preface this, I have never contemplated suicide, known anyone who's taken their own life so I cannot at all relate to what it feels like to be in that mental state. Hence my lack of understanding...

The way my logical brain sees it, if I watch someone cut open their wrists, see the blood gushing out, imagine how painful that must be, my every instinct would just show me how much I don't want to do that to myself willingly.

So why is it almost common knowledge in the mental health profession that such scenes in movies, games and visual media seem to encourage the act rather than the opposite?

This may be a stupid question but I was unsure where else to post. I was reading about how Nordic countries are some of the happiest nations on the planet. I also read they a bit above or average in terms of suicide rates within the EU. Why is this the case? Why aren’t Nordic countries low on the suicide spectrum if they are so ‘happy’?

The spectrum of emotions and managing mental health….this post was refused and removed from no stupid questions for being ‘suicide related’ as it could influence someone???

Has there been a decrease in people understanding how to manage a range of sometimes extreme emotions?

I’m writing this off the back of two people I know dying recently by suicide. I’m genuinely wanting to learn about peoples experiences with their emotional health and their understanding of it.

I can be feeling down without being depressed, it can last a while but I know it won’t last forever. I can have crippling anxiety but generally figure out where it’s stemming from and try and make changes. I’m aware that I can have lows, but surely that means I’ve experienced elation and highs. I’ve had days where I’m really emotional and cry if I’m completely overwhelmed or exhausted so I know to take it easy, hydrate and rest.

I don’t know what’s normal and what’s not anymore with expectations of managing emotions and when emotional well-being crosses over and can become a mental health concern.

Is it age dependent? For example the stiff upper lip generation compared to youngsters who have perhaps grown up feeling more able to express themselves? I’m unsure about this as you hear about ‘old boys’ for example being abused at school and killing themselves later on….. (on the other hand some families send their children to these institutions knowing what can go on there and think it will ‘build character’).

Thanks for any insight into some hard questions!

Hi all. I'm an undergraduate student and have a long cross-country road trip ahead of me and am wanting to explore psychopathology in more depth in preparation for a research project I am working on this fall. The project explores the relationship between personality traits and psychopathology — specifically SUD's, anxiety, and depression. I'm wanting to get a better grapple on the psychopathology background knowledge that I am very unfamiliar with. If anyone has audiobook or online lecture recommendations that cover some of those topics please let me know! Thank you.