Psychiatric Epidemiology

Psychiatry epidemiology examines occurrence and distribution of mental health disorders and probable causes and factors that influence their manifestation, trajectory, and outcome. Provides students with knowledge and skills necessary to conceptualize mental health related research questions, properly assess mental health symptoms and diagnostic classifications in their research (e.g., prevalence, incidence, and outcome), and analyze data to advance field of psychiatric epidemiology and better understand how to establish mental health and substance use treatment guidelines.

With respect to measurement, emphasis is given to issues of reliability and validity in studying such disorders—while considering factors such as gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, age, poverty, education, culture, social support, social capital, etc. S/U or letter grading.