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Assessment and Intervention in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Code: 43419 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
General Health Psychology OB 1

Contact

Name:
Estel Gelabert Arbiol
Email:
estel.gelabert@uab.cat

Teachers

Silvia Noguer Carmona
Joaquim Punti Vidal

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of the cognitive-behavioral model and evidence-based psychology.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of this module is to perform an in-depth examination of the biological and psychosocial factors associated with mental health problems in childhood and adolescence, as well as the procedures to evaluate them and to intervene in them at an individual, family and / or community level, or, if necessary, refer them to a corresponding specialist.

The module aims to address the most prevalent problems and disorders in childhood and adolescence, as well as those which, although appearing less frequently, the general health psychologist should know and identify to be able to refer to a specialist.

Each study unit will comprehensively analyse:

·         the clinical practice guide

·         the developmental and sex/gender characteristics

·         the ethical issues that arise in this area

·         the risk and protection factors

·         the assessment, diagnosis and differential diagnosis

·         evidence-based treatments

·         the multidisciplinary coordination the problem entails

·         the specialist referral criteria

·         Monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention


Competences

  • Apply the principles of bioethics and the deliberation method to professional practice, in line with Law 44/2003, of 21 November, on organisation of the healthcare professions.
  • Critically analyse and use clinical information sources.
  • Design, develop and, where appropriate, supervise and evaluate psychological intervention programmes, on the basis of the psychological evaluation and the individual and social variables of each case.
  • Formulate working hypotheses in research and critically assess information for problem-solving, using the scientific method.
  • Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  • Know in depth the biological and psychosocial factors associated with mental health problems and illness, especially those related to mental health.
  • Know in depth the psychological nature of human behaviour, and the social and biological factors that can affect it.
  • Know in depth the psychosocial factors associated with health problems and illness.
  • Know the framework for the activity of general health psychologists and be able to call in the corresponding specialists.
  • Plan, carry out and, where appropriate, supervise the psychological evaluation of human behaviour and of the psychological factors associated with health problems, in order to evaluate the latter.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Design individual treatment programmes for children and adolescents that include measures to prevent relapses.
  2. Evaluate the effectiveness of psychological intervention in children and adolescents.
  3. Formulate guidelines for parents to promote the development of children and adolescents.
  4. Formulate questions, objectives and research hypotheses appropriately for problem solving in the field of children's mental health.
  5. Gather and analyse information consistently with the research objectives and hypotheses, and interpret the results obtained appropriately, acknowledging the impact on individuals and communities in the field of children's mental health.
  6. Help families to decide between treatment options.
  7. Identify and analyse the impact of mental health problems and illness on the family and psychosocial environment.
  8. Identify cases in the field of children's mental health that call for the involvement of an appropriate specialist or healthcare unit, or for an interdisciplinary approach to be adopted, and describe the procedures to be applied.
  9. Identify, choose and critically analyse the relevant clinical documents for professional activity in the field of children's mental health.
  10. Identify ethically inappropriate professional actions in the field of children's mental health.
  11. Identify risk and protection factors regarding children's mental health problems, depending on age and gender.
  12. Identify the advances in knowledge of mental disorders in children and adolescents (definition and classification, epidemiological trends, causal processes and comorbidity).
  13. Identify the mechanisms of action and the impact of risk and protection factors for mental disorders in childhood and adolescence.
  14. Identify the most suitable research methods and designs for responding to a particular problem in the field of children's mental health.
  15. Identify the resources and mechanisms for responding to mental health problems and illness.
  16. Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  17. Integrate the information from the evaluation of mental disorders in children and adolescents to offer guidance on treatment that includes priority objectives.
  18. Integrate the information from the evaluation so as to make diagnoses, including the differential diagnosis of mental disorders in children and adolescents.
  19. Know the clinical characteristics of disorders at different ages and gender differences, in order to engage in clinical practice from a perspective of evolution and gender.
  20. Know the evidence-based techniques, procedures and protocols for evaluating mental problems and disorders in children and adolescents.
  21. Know the protocols for acting in the face of particular risk factors in childhood and adolescence.
  22. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Content

1.     Detection and treatment of developmental problems in childhood

2.     Assessment and intervention of stressful life events and other risky situations and behaviors

3.     Assessment and treatment of attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder

4.     Assessment and treatment of learning disorders

5.     Assessment and treatment of autistic spectrum disorders

6.     Assessment and treatment of behavioural disorders

7.     Assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders

8.     Assessment and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

9.     Assessment and treatment of depressive disorder

10.   Assessment and treatment of non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors and suicidal behaviors

11.   Assessment and treatment of eating disorders


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
E3. PBL 12 0.48
Workshop lectures 25.5 1.02
Type: Supervised      
Supervision of works and reports 7.5 0.3
Type: Autonomous      
PBL materials preparation 43.5 1.74
PBL working 18 0.72
Study 43.5 1.74

Seminars

Seminars of clinical problems (Problem-based learning-PBL)

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
E1. Exam 40% 0 0 2, 21, 19, 20, 1, 3, 10, 8, 12, 11, 13, 15, 7, 9, 18, 6
E2. Multiple choice exam 30% 0 0 21, 19, 20, 12, 11, 13, 15, 7
E3. PBL 30% 0 0 2, 21, 20, 14, 1, 4, 3, 10, 8, 11, 13, 15, 7, 9, 17, 18, 6, 16, 5, 22

The continuous evaluation consists of 3 pieces of evidence:

E1: Open exam (week 19) (individual)

E2: Multiple-choice test (week 19) (individual)

E3: Solution of clinical cases from Problem-Based Learning (PBL) (group) (weeks 9 and 15)

The final grade of the continuous evaluation will be obtained as the weighted average of the 3 evaluation evidences. The module will be passed with the weighted average score ≥ 5 (on a scale of 0 to 10 points), as long as an average score of at least 4.5 points (on a scale of 0 to 10) has been obtained between the evidences E1 and E2.

 

Feedback on assessed activities:

  • Feedback on E1 and E3 will be provided through a tutorial (week 20).

  • Feedback on E2 will be provided in class and during tutorials held in the PBL sessions.

     

Recovery:

Students who have obtained a final grade (weighted average grade) between 3.5 and 4.9 points and who have taken assessment evidence weighing at least 2/3 of the total grade (one of them E3, solving clinical problems), can take the test of recovery of the contents corresponding to evidence E1 and E2. The test will have a maximum value of 2 points that will be added to the previous grade. It is necessary to pass the recovery test, that is, to obtain a minimum of 1 point, to be able to add the score to the previous grade.

 

A student who has provided learning evidences with a weight equal to or greater than 4 points (40%) cannot be a "non-evaluable" student in the official records.

This module does not provide for the single assessment system.

 

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Restricted use: In this subject, the use of AI technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic or information search, text correction, or translations. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these influenced the process and final outcome of the activity. Failure to transparently declare the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in partial or total penalisation of the activity grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

The document with the Faculty’s assessment guidelines is available at: https://www.uab.cat/doc/DOC_Pautes_Avaluacio_2025-2026


Bibliography

Carrasco, M.A., Ramírez, I.M., & del Barrio, V. (2013). Evaluación clínica: Diagnóstico, formulación y contrastación de los trastornos psicológicos. Madrid: Sanz y Torres.

Comeche, M. I. & Vallejo, M. A. (2016). Manual de terapia de conducta en la infancia (3a. Ed.). Madrid: Dykinson.

Costas, C. (2003). Avaluació psicològica del desenvolupament infantil: des del naixement fins als sis anys. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Christophersen, E.R. & VanScoyoc, S. M. (Eds.) (2013). Treatments that work with children: Empirically supported strategies for managing childhood problems (2nd ed). Washington: American Psychological Association.

Ezpeleta, L. (2005). Factores de riesgo en psicopatología del desarrollo. Barcelona: Masson.

Ezpeleta, L. & Toro, J. (2014). Psicopatología del desarrollo. Madrid: Pirámide.

Friedberg, R. D., & Nakamura, B. J. (2020). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in youth: Tradition and innovation. New York: Springer 

Garcia, N. & Noguerol, V. (2007). Infancia maltratada: Manual de Intervención. Madrid: EOS.

Guías de práctica clínica del Sistema Nacional de Salud http://portal.guiasalud.es

Guías de práctica clínica del National Institute for Health and Care Excellence http://guidance.nice.org.uk

Hunsley, J. & Mash, E.J. (2018). Assessments that works (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Martín, J. (2005). La intervención ante el maltrato infantil: Una revisión del sistema de protección. Madrid: Psicología Pirámide

Nathan, P.E. & Gorman, J.M. (Eds.) (2015). A guide to treatments that work (4th. Ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Pérez, M. (2006). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces III:Infancia y adolescencia. Pirámide. 

Pérez-Bonaventura, I. (2022). Ansiedad. A mi también me pasa. Manual práctico para jóvenes y adolescentes. Barcelona: Penguin Random House.

Pérez-Bonaventura, I. (2024). ¡Hola autoestima! Atrévete a ser tú. Barcelona: Penguin Random House.

Puntí, J. (2023). Educar en tiempos difíciles. Estrategias y recursos para afrontar los desafíos. Barcelona: Siglantana.

Youngstrom, E. A., Prinstein, M. J., Mash, E. J., & Barkley, R. A. (Eds.). (2020). Assessment of disorders in childhood and adolescence (5th ed.). Guilford Press.


Software

None


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SCCmRD) Seminaris de casos clínics (màster RD) 111 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SCCmRD) Seminaris de casos clínics (màster RD) 112 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SCCmRD) Seminaris de casos clínics (màster RD) 113 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SCCmRD) Seminaris de casos clínics (màster RD) 114 Catalan first semester afternoon