01 / Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Who this book is for
For undergraduates beginning abnormal or clinical psychology and readers seeking a structured academic account of mental disorders. The modules support comparison across categories rather than learning isolated symptom lists. It is an educational foundation for further study, with practical clinical decisions requiring more extensive training and evidence.
Prerequisites
An introductory psychology course is recommended. Be comfortable distinguishing a classification rule from an explanation of why a disorder develops. Basic research-methods vocabulary will help with prevalence, comorbidity and treatment evidence; clinical training is not assumed for reading the text.
What it covers
Sixteen modules begin with definitions, explanatory models and clinical assessment, then examine mood, trauma-related, dissociative, anxiety, somatic, obsessive-compulsive, eating, substance-related, psychotic, personality and neurocognitive disorders. Childhood disorders and contemporary issues complete the sequence. Repeated headings connect clinical presentation with epidemiology, comorbidity, etiology and treatment.
How to use it
Read the first three modules before selecting a disorder block. Make a comparison table for two categories that could be confused, separating diagnostic criteria from mechanisms and risk factors. Explain what information is missing from a short case and why one symptom cannot settle the question. For treatment claims, identify the kind of evidence and the population studied before carrying a conclusion to another setting.
Edition and sources
The WSU live book identifies the fourth edition as August 2026 and retains a 2018 copyright notice. It was formerly titled Abnormal Psychology. The license page specifies CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Classification and treatment discussions should be read in their edition context.
