This subject presents empirical approaches to understanding maladaptive behaviour, psychosocial disorders and dysfunctions in all age groups. The primary focus will be on the major areas of psychological dysfunction, as well as problems of diagnosis and assessment. Clinical features related to symptomatology, aetiology, etc and theories and research findings will be presented from an integrative perspective that emphasises the importance of multifactorial rather than unifactorial approaches to the explanation of psychological disorders. Although therapetuic interventions for different disorders will be surveyed, they will not be the major focus of the subject.