Mental Health: What We Know Now (and What We Don’t)
Catherine Sanderson is the Poler Family Professor and former Chair of Psychology at Amherst College and is often cited as the school’s most popular professor. Her research has received grant funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. She has published over 25 journal articles in addition to three college textbooks. In 2012, she was named one of the country’s “Top 300 Professors” by the Princeton Review.
Overview
More than half of Americans will experience a psychological disorder at some point in their life, and virtually all of us have some symptoms of mental illness. This talk will examine how psychologists classify different types of psychological disorders–including anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression–and discuss the leading theories explaining the development of these disorders. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll explore different approaches to treatment, including talk therapy, drug therapy, and group-based approaches.
Professor does a very good job of categorizing and explaining mental health disorders. Her Q&A also is very interesting, although I am sure there were many Q’s that she was unable to get to. I hope she does in fact do a follow up presentation using all the questions given her to structure her presentation. Perhaps she could review many of the Hollywood movies that demonstrate one disorder or another: the “You make me want to be a better man” movie with Jack Nicholson (“As Good as it Gets” I think), “Clockwork Orange”,”One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” etc. Also a presentation on mental health and the Law would be of great interest. How does one understand January 6th insurrection in terms of the mental health of the participants, or the perpetrator of the assault on Mr. Pelosi, etc. She is always an excellent speaker and energetic presenter.