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Foundations of Health Psychology

Unit Code: HAY531

Duration

Contact Hours

Campus

Prerequisite

Corequisite

1 Semester / Teaching Period

36 Hours

Hawthorn

Admission to the Graduate Diploma of Science (Clinical Psychology) Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) or Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) program.

Nil

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

A unit of study in the Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology), Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) and Graduate Diploma of Science (Clinical Psychology) programs.

Aims & Objectives:

Aims
The aim of this unit is to introduce the principles and practice of psychology as applied in general health settings. Prevention and treatment approaches are introduced.

Learning objectives
After successfully completing this unit, students should be able to: develop illness prevention and stress management strategies, develop community and workplace health promotion programs, develop and apply therapeutic interventions for the medically ill, including individual and group programs, design interventions for rehabilitation after illness or injury, provide pain management
and rehabilitation services for people with invisible physical injuries.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures, seminars and workshops.

Assessment:

* Essay (60%)

* Group Oral presentation (20%)

* Case study (20%)

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Graduates are capable in their chosen professional area:

Able to gather information systematically from a range of sources.
Highly developed verbal and written skills.
A capacity to engage in informed critical enquiry and social debate.
A sense of social responsibility for knowledge and its application.

Graduates are entrepreneurial:

Able to identify and realise opportunities for responsible innovation.
An aptitude for socially responsible decision making.

Graduates are adaptable and manage change.

Graduates operate effectively in work and community situations:

Communicate effectively with professionals and the community.
Understand, and are committed to, professional and ethical principles.
Adaptable, flexible, open to new ideas and able to manage change.
Able to work across a variety of situations with a variety of people.
Recognise the need for life long learning.

Graduates are aware of environments:

Cultural sensitivity, a respect for multiple points of view.

Content:

This unit of study provides an introduction to health psychology, an area of professional practice which applies the theories and methods of psychology to the promotion of health and prevention of illness. Topics cover the broad areas of

Biological, social and psychological influences on health and illness.
Stress and coping.
The health care system, doctor-patient communication.
Health promotion, disease prevention.
Therapeutic interventions for the medically ill.
Rehabilitation after illness or injury.

Textbooks:

Boyer, A.B. & Paharia, M.I. (2008). Comprehensive Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology. NJ, USA: Wiley & Son