PSY3110 Clinical Health Psychology

Contents

• Staffing
• Requisites
• Rationale
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Other requirements
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

REQUISITES

RATIONALE

This course explores the connection between how people think and behave and their physical and mental health. The connection between mind and body is bi-directional and multi-faceted. The ways in which people think or feel can benefit or harm their health in areas such as cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, coping with chronic disease, drug and alcohol use, fitness, or injury and disease prevention. People's physical health status can conversely affect their moods, attitudes to life, and both individual and social behaviour. This course will assist students to integrate their knowledge of psychology into the bio-psycho-social context of physical and psychological health, thus preparing them to acquire the practical and specialised knowledge and skills taught at postgraduate level.

SYNOPSIS

This course will consider psychological factors involved in the area of health and disease from the theoretical perspectives of social psychology as they relate to behavioural change. It will discuss psychological research methods in their application to health. Students will examine health-related behaviours, such as coping with disease and pain, attitude to medical advice, smoking, diet, exercise, alcohol use, sexual practices, and injury prevention. Finally future challenges facing psychology in its relationship to health will be outlined. The course will be offered in the form of twelve modules on-campus and externally.

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students should understand:

1. key biological, psychological, and social determinants of health and illness (Exam);
2. clinical psychological sequalae of major illnesses and injury (Assessment 1, Exam);
3. epidemiology of Australian population groups (Exam);
4. psychology of health risk factors (Assessment 1, Exam);
5. health beliefs and attitudes (Exam);
6. stress, coping, and social support in health and illness (Assessment 1, Exam);
7. disease prevention (Assessment 1, Exam);
8. processes of acute and chronic illness, psychological factors influencing medical care (Exam);
9. communication in health settings (Assessment 1, Exam);
10. interdisciplinary public health (Exam);
11. interventions used in preventing and coping with disease and in promoting healthy behaviour (Assessment 1, Exam).

TOPICS

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Caltabiano, ML, Sarafino, EP & Byrne, D 2008, Health psychology: biopsychosocial interactions, 2nd edn, Wiley, Brisbane.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Adams, Bridget 1998, Psychology for health care: key terms and concepts, MacMillan, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Allen, F 1998, Health psychology: theory and practice, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Bennett, P 2000, Introduction to clinical health psychology, Open University, Buckingham.

Caltabiano, ML & Sarafino, EP 2008, Health psychology: biopsychosocial interactions, an Australian perspective, Wiley, Brisbane.

Grbich, C 2004, Health in Australia: sociological concepts and issues, 3rd edn, Longman, Sydney.

Kozlowski, LT, Henningfield, JE & Brigham, J 2001, Cigarettes, nicotine & health: a behavioural approach, Sage, Thousand Oaks, Ca; London.

Lewis, MK 2002, Multicultural health psychology: special topics acknowledging diversity, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.

Morrison, V, Bennett, P, Butow, P, Mullan, B, & White, K 2008, Introduction to health psychology in Australia, Pearson, Frenchs Forest.

Ogden, J 2004, Health psychology: a textbook, 3rd edn, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Salmon, P 2000, Psychology of medicine and surgery: a guide for psychologists, counsellors, nurses and doctors, Wiley, Chichester.

Sarafino, EP 2006, Health psychology: biopsychosocial interactions, 5th edn, Wiley, Brisbane.

Sternberg, EM 2001, The balance within: the science of connecting health and emotions, WH Freeman & Co, New York.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To satisfactorily complete an assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to be awarded a passing grade in this course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 10% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   Candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the Closed examination.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred examinations for this course will be held during the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of this course.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

1. Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to USQConnect for this course.

This version produced 2 Sep 2008.