SPED4303 – Psychological, social and emotional difficulties from a global perspective – Prevalence, causes, and prevention

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

Psychological and social difficulties negatively affect education, employment, health, wellbeing, and life expectancy and are associated with large personal and economic costs for both individuals and society. Psychological and social difficulties include a wide range of behavioural, emotional, and social problems such as ADHD, conduct disorder, anxiety, depression, substance misuse, antisocial behavioural and aggression. This course will focus on the classification, prevalence, and causes of clinically significant psychological and social problems (i.e., diagnoses) including evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches for the most common types of problems.?

Learning outcome

Knowledge

After completing this course, you will have in depth knowledge about:??

  • the prevalence and distribution of psychological and social difficulties nationally and internationally?

  • causes of psychological and social difficulties including the role of genetic and environmental factors (and interactions between them) through a biopsychosocial lens

  • the social determinants of psychological and social problems?

  • assessment and classification of psychological and social problems (e.g., ICD, DSM, CBCL)?

  • evidence-based prevention and intervention

  • prevention of psychological and social difficulties at the population level

  • Psychological and social difficulties and the role of climate change and the environment?

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Skills

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:?

  • appreciate the distribution of psychological and social problems and know where to find prevalence estimates and related statistics?

  • apply a biopsychosocial perspective to understanding the role of genes and environments as risk factors for psychological and social problems?

  • recognise measurement tools and classification frameworks for common psychological and social problems??

  • identify evidence-based approaches and programs to lower the burden of psychological and social difficulties through prevention and intervention?

  • appreciate the importance of prevention at the population level?

  • identify the role of broader systemic factors, such as climate change, in shaping risks for psychosocial problems?

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General competences??

Upon completion of the course, you should have acquired:?

  • the ability to evaluate and critically discuss psychological and social difficulties from an individual and global perspective?

  • the capacity to independently investigate, plan, implement, carry out, and critically reflect on evidence-based interventions in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines?

  • the skill to seek new knowledge about relevant research and its application in the field of special education practices and related psychological and social difficulties?

  • the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented interventions?

  • the aptitude to convey the rationale behind an intervention to "service users" (e.g., clients, patients) and utilise different methods to ensure the service users involvement in the choice of assessment and intervention?

Admission to the course

Requires admission to the master’s programme in?Research in Special Needs Education or the master’s programme in Special Needs Education. Other master's students at UiO can be admitted if there are available places.?This course is also open for international exchange students at master's level with a relevant bachelor's degree or equivalent.

The course is compulsory for students on the specialisation Psykososiale vansker.

SPED4301

Overlapping courses

Teaching

This course consists of:

  • Lectures?

  • Seminars

Compulsory components:

  • Attendance at seminars

  • Group assignment

The compulsory components must be completed and approved before you are allowed to take the exam and are valid for three years.

Guidelines for attendance in compulsory teaching sessions.

Examination

Individual written examination (4 h).

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Language of examination

You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students with an approved reason for absence or who do not pass the ordinary exam will be given the opportunity to sit a postponed exam/resit exam. The postponed exam/resit exam is usually held within three months after the ordinary exam.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Nov. 17, 2025 1:13:18 PM

Facts about this course

Level
Master
Credits
10
Teaching
Spring
Examination
Spring
Teaching language
English

Contact

Department of Special Needs Education