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Areas of Application of Health Psychology

Code: 102596 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2502443 Psychology OT 4

Contact

Name:
Antonio Font Guiteras
Email:
antonio.font@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Any.


Objectives and Contextualisation

This course focuses on the study of the most relevant diseases and health issues, from a biopsychosocial perspective. It looks at the importance of each issue, the study of the biopsychosocial determinants and psychobiological aspects involved in each organic system and takes a broad view of the possibilities of psychosocial approach (prevention, intervention, improved quality of life, etc.).

The objectives are:

  • Understand the importance and psychosocial consequences of major health problems
  • Recognize the main determinants involved in its development
  • Describe the main psychobiological and social aspects involved
  • Assess the potential and suitability of different forms of psychosocial intervention in addressing these health problems 

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse scientific texts written in English.
  • Communicate efficiently, using the appropriate media (oral, written or audio-visual) taking into account diversity and all elements that may ease communication or make it more difficult.
  • Formulate hypotheses about the demands and needs of the recipients.
  • Maintain a favourable attitude towards the permanent updating through critical evaluation of scientific documentation, taking into account its origin, situating it in an epistemological framework and identifying and contrasting its contributions in relation to the available disciplinary knowledge.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Obtain and organise relevant information for the service requested.
  • Recognise personal limitations and limitations of the discipline in the different areas of professional practice.
  • Recognise the determinants and risk factors for health and also the interaction between people and their physical and social environment.
  • Select and apply the methods and techniques in the plan for intervention in accordance with the established objective in relevant contexts for the service requested.
  • Use different ICTs for different purposes.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Analyse scientific texts written in English.
  3. Apply assessment techniques.
  4. Apply communication skills.
  5. Assess the impact of the difficulties, prejudices and discriminations that actions or projects may involve, in the short or long term, in relation to certain persons or groups.
  6. Formulate demands of people and institutions on health issues in functional terms.
  7. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  8. Identify the main obstacles to effective communication among professionals and recipients in the area of health.
  9. Identify the main psychological determinants affecting the development of health problems and ways of tackling them.
  10. Identify the need for intervention in health problems in different applied contexts.
  11. Maintain a favourable attitude towards the permanent updating through critical evaluation of scientific documentation, taking into account its origin, situating it in an epistemological framework and identifying and contrasting its contributions in relation to the available disciplinary knowledge.
  12. Recognise patterns and stages of health needs assessment.
  13. Recognise personal limitations and limitations of the discipline in the different areas of professional practice.
  14. Recognise the differential health demands depending on the age, gender and the nature of the disease or dysfunction.
  15. Recognise the ethical implications of the various programs, techniques and interventions in health psychology.
  16. Recognise the stages of intervention in health problems.
  17. Use different ICTs for different purposes.

Content

1. Health Literacy and Empowerment in Health

• Concept and dimensions of health literacy

• Changes in the health care model: participatory medicine

• Levels of health information

• Patient Empowerment: process and examples

• e-health

 

2. Actions in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention

• Prevention of toxic habits

• Promotion of healthy behaviours and prevention of contagious diseases

• Psychological treatment in:

Eating behaviour, overweight and obesity

Activity, rest and sleep

Affective and sexual behaviours

. The health psychologist in hospitals and health centres: actions in tertiary prevention: Cardiovascular disorders, respiratory diseases, hepatic and digestive disorders, immunological diseases, degenerative illness

• Traumatology and rehabilitation

3. Diabetes
• Epidemiology

• Definition and basic concepts

• Disease Characteristics

• Prevention

• Intervention

 

4. Oncological psychology

• Epidemiological and medical aspects of cancer treatment.

• Strategy for the Development of Oncological Psychology

• Psychological factors in cancer

• Intervention in Oncological Psychology

• Multidisciplinary teams and psychological therapies in cancer treatment.

 

5. Palliative care

• Definition, development and characteristics of palliativecare

• Processes and psychological models in terminally ill patients

• Intervention in palliative care

• Pros and cons of euthanasia

• The process of bereavement

 

6. Psycho-Ecology of Health

• Promotion of personal well-being: factors associated with individual happiness

• Promotion of social and labor welfare, and prevention of burnout

• Contextual Health Promotion: Introduction to Ecological Health


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Master classes with ICT support and activities with the large group 24 0.96 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16
Seminars of analysis, debate and applications 12 0.48 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17
Type: Supervised      
Support to the elaboration of works and reports 12 0.48 9, 10, 12, 16
Type: Autonomous      
Readings and preparation of expositions 24 0.96 2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Studying 50 2 9, 10, 12, 16
Works, field activities 24 0.96 3, 4, 6, 9, 10

Teaching methodology based mainly on master classes with the support of ICT and seminars of analysis and application of topics worked on in the subject, with specific practical work for each topic and discussion of readings related to the fields of application of Health Psychology.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
EVIDENCE 1: Reports (1a,1b, 1c) related to the first three seminars 15% 0 0 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 17
EVIDENCE 2: Written test, about the topics 1, 2 and 3 35% 2 0.08 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
EVIDENCE 3: Reports (3a,3b,3c) related to the last three seminars 15% 0 0 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17
EVIDENCE 4: Written test, about the topics 4, 5 and 6 35% 2 0.08 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

You will find the assessment criteria of the Faculty following the link https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html 

Two partial exams will be undertaken, each worth 35% of the final grade. The grades obtained in two blocks of activity reports related to the seminars are added, each of them will count 15% of the final grade (30% together).

To pass the subject, the average of marks of the two partial exams (assessments 2 and 4) must be equal or superior to 5 (on a scale from 0 to 10). That is, a minimum of 3.5 points must be obtained in the sum of assessments 2 and 4.

In total, the students are offered 4 assessments, which are worth 10 points:

Assessment 1: Written report (individual or group) of activities related to seminars 1, 2 and 3: 1.5 points (0,5 point each part)

Assessment 2: Written test on areas 1, 2 and 3 of the programme: 3.5 points (individual)

Assessment 3: Written report (individual or group) of activities related to seminars 4, 5 and 6: 1,5 points (0,5 point each part)

Assessment 4: Written test on areas 4, 5 and 6 of the programme: 3.5 points (individual)

The reports for assessments 1 and 3 are submitted by using the Moodle platform. EV1: Final submission: Before the start of the first assessment period. EV3: Final submission: Before the start of the second assessment period.

Assessments 2 and 4 are face-to-face written tests (multiple choice test). EV2: During the first assessment period. EV4: During the second assessment period.

The final grade is the sum of the four evidences. No additional tests are undertaken to improve the grades obtained in the four evidences.

The subject is deemed to be passed if 5 or more points are obtained in the sum of the 4 assessments, as long as 3.5 points or more have been obtained in the sum of assessments 2 and 4. Not meeting these criteriameans that a maximum grade of 4.5 marks (range 0-10) can be recorded on the student’s academic transcript.

A student who has submitted assessmentswith a weighting equal to or greater than 4 points (40%) will obtain a grade. A student with lower assessment grades will be "not evaluable".

 

Re-assessment

All the following criteria must be met in order to go to re-assessment:

a) Having obtained between 3.5 and less than 5 points in the continuous assessment.

b) The weight of the assessments which the student has submitted during the course must be 66.7% or more.

Characteristics of the resit test:

It will consist in re-taking Ev2 or Ev4 assessments, with the same characteristics and correction criteria as in the first time. Assessments EV1 and EV3 cannot be re-assessed, because it is not possible to repeat the seminars (so, the same grades will be added to the final grade).

Re-assessment will take place in the period allocated for resits, the day and time being determined by the Faculty.

No unique final synthesis test for students who enroll for the second time or more is anticipated.

 This subject does not consider single assessment


Bibliography

Basic:

Fonamental

Amigo Váquez, I, Fernández Rodríguez, C. y Pérez Álvarez, M. (2009). Manual de psicologia de la Salud (3 ed.) Madrid: Pirámide.

Brannon. L i Feist, J. (2001). Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: Paraninfo. 

Gil Moncayo, F. (2000). Manual de Psico-oncología. Madrid: Nova Sidonia.

Gil Roales-Nieto, J (2004). Psicología de la Salud. Aproximación histórica, conceptual y aplicaciones. Madrid: Pirámide.

Pastor, A. y López, S. (2015). Psicología de la rehabilitación y problemas de salud crónicos. Editorial electrónica Universitas Miguel Hernández.

Psicooncología: Investigación y clínica biopsicosocial en oncología: http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/ejemplar?codigo=366493

Taylor, S. (2007). Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: McGraw-Hil (recommended)

 

Complementary:

Asociación Española Contra el Càncer: http://www.todocancer.com/esp

Asociación Internacional de Psicooncología: http://www.ipos-society.org/congress/psychosocial_academy.aspx

Avellaneda, A.; Martínez, I. (2008). Síndrome de Fatiga Crónica. Documento de consenso. Madrid: Editorial Médica.

de Miquel, C.A. et al. (2010). Documento de Consenso interdisciplinar para el tratamiento de la fibromialgia. Actas españolas de psiquiatría, 38(2), 108-121.

Bakker, A., Rodríguez-Muñoz, A, y Derks, D (2012). La emergencia de la psicología de la salud ocupacional positiva. Psicothema 24, (1), 66-72.

Ballesteros, V. y Daponte, A. (2011). Urbanismo, medio ambiente y salud. Granada: Observatorio de Salud y Medio Ambiente de Andalucía (OSMAN)

Barrueco, M., Hernández, M.A. y Torrecilla, M. (2009). Manual de Prevención y Tratamiento del Tabaquismo. Euromedice. Badalona. Ediciones Médicas S.L.

Federación Española de sociedades de sexología. http://fess.org.es/salud-sexual

Fundación para la Diabetes: http://www.fundaciondiabetes.org/

Gorreto, L., Duro, R. et al (2017). Guía de intervención individual para el tratamiento del tabaquismo. Direcció General de Salut Pública i Participació. Govern de les Illes Balears.

Health Literacy. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthliteracy.html

Merayo Rodríguez J, Serrano Fuentes N, Marqués Sánchez P. Influencia de los espacios verdes urbanos en la salud mental. Metas Enferm nov 2016; 19(9): 20-26.

Ogden, J. (2007). Essential readings in health psychology. Berkshire, UK: Open University Press

Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS): http://www.who.int/es/

Plá, J y Salvador, J. (2006) Aspectos psicológicos de las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Acción Médica. ISBN 84-88336-56-X

Pérez, M., Fernández, J.R., Fernández, C. y Amigo, I. (2003). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces II: Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: Pirámide.

Remor, E. Arranz, P. y Ulla, S. (eds.)  El psicólogo en el ámbito hospitalario. Desclee de Brouwer. 

Revista interdisciplinar de Psicooncología: http://www.ucm.es/info/apsom/revistapsicooncologia/

Salanova, M. (2008). Organizaciones saludables: una perspectiva desde la psicología positiva. En C. Vázquez y G. Hervás (ed.). Psicología Positiva: Bases científicas del bienestar y la resilencia. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Salanova, M. (dir.)(2009). Psicología de la salud ocupacional. Ed. Síntesis. 

Sociedad Americana contra el Cáncer: http://www.cancer.org/Espanol/index

Sociedad Española de Cuidados Paliativos: http://www.secpal.com

Sociedad Española de Diabetes: http://www.sediabetes.org/

Soriano, J., Montsalve, V. Santolaya, F, et al (2009). Guía práctica de Psicología de la Salud en el ámbito hospitalario.Valencia: Grafamar.

 

Note: You can find documentation acquired by the library and additional free access by following the instructions on the following link: https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/guibib/224929/bibrecdigitals.pdf

 


Software

none


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM) Seminars 111 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 112 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed