Why We Made This:
Many individuals struggle to differentiate between complex mental health diagnoses, especially those with overlapping features like mood instability, cognitive decline, or psychotic symptoms. Diagnostic material is often presented in dense or overwhelming ways. We created this PDF to serve as an efficient and visually appealing study tool that simplifies complex topics without compromising depth. Our goal was to create an organized, comparison-rich reference that emphasizes real diagnostic criteria, side-by-side symptom breakdowns, and EPPP-ready frameworks.
 
Learning Objectives:
Understand DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and domains affected in neurocognitive disorders, including how to distinguish between mild and major forms.
Differentiate dementia, pseudodementia, and delirium using symptom presentation, onset, prognosis, and treatment response.
Identify and compare key symptoms of psychotic spectrum disorders such as brief psychotic episodes, schizophreniform disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder.
Distinguish types of delusions and define the differences between delusions, illusions, and hallucinations.
Break down positive versus negative symptoms of psychosis with examples of disorganized behavior, avolition, anhedonia, and flat affect.
Compare Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia across criteria, symptom duration, and mood presentation.
Clarify the differences between mania and hypomania using real symptom examples and diagnostic thresholds.
Learn and apply major theories of depression, including Beck’s Cognitive Triad, Seligman’s Learned Helplessness, and Attribution Theory.
Accurately describe Substance Use Disorder diagnostic criteria, severity levels, and symptom clusters across categories like impaired control and physical dependence.
Recognize the effects of stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens including signs of intoxication and withdrawal.
Understand when and how to use diagnostic specifiers like “unspecified” or “other specified” in clinical documentation and exam settings.