Browse Hierarchy PSY333: Nature, Nurture and Mental Health

This module provides an in-depth analysis of a new, rapidly evolving, and often controversial area, of psychology and psychiatry. We will build on several key areas of psychology introduced in previous modules including social, biological and abnormal psychology to explore how genetic and environmental factors come together to cause mental illnesses such as major depression, schizophrenia and autism. Drawing on the most recent research from quantitative and molecular genetics we will explore the evidence behind several key controversies in the field including the continuum between traits and disorders, the nature vs nurture debate, genetic determinism and the ethical implications of genetic research of mental illness.