Health Psychology

Course goals

After completion of this course, students are able to

1. understand and theorize how health beliefs, cognitions and behavior affect health, illness and well-being, and are able to apply that knowledge in different contexts;
2. identify, describe and critically analyze the influence of individual, socio-cultural, and structural factors in health promotion and health care;
3. analyze and evaluate research and its applications in health psychology;
4. apply their knowledge of health psychology to evaluate, reflect upon, and respond to media claims on health topics;
5. create and present a class where they explain a certain topic within health psychology to their peers creatively;
6. analyze qualitative data, conduct a qualitative study and apply knowledge of theories in health psychology to the findings.

Assessment	Addresses course goals
Class participation	1-3
Class presentation	3-5
Exam	1-3, 6
Final term paper	1-3, 6

Content

While most individuals would like to be healthy and vital agents, we are also living in a time that is facing unprecedented global challenges that affect our health.  For instance, with the impending growth of the global population to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, how can psychologists motivate people to adopt alternative diets that are not reliant on traditional methods of food production that are already under strain?  In an era where healthcare is increasingly digitalized, and international migrations are catalyzed by globalization, how can doctors adaptatively foster patient-centered relationships that are also culturally sensitive?  When climate change means crisis and the number of people living in urbanized cities have (for the first-time in history) exceed that in rural areas, how can policymakers establish more effective governance that promote sustainability and the wellbeing of citizens?  In light of these questions, what insights can health psychology bring to help us better understand these issues and potentially establish solutions?
 
This course will provide an in-depth study of current research in health psychology: the study of health issues from the dynamic interplay of biological, psychological, social and cultural factors. We will examine the psychology of health on a continuum: pathology on one extreme, robust physical and mental health on the other. We will cover a range of topics, including theoretical approaches to health psychology, the role of cognitions and mental health in physical health functioning, while deep diving into specific topics such as stress, obesity, pain and placebo effects, as well as diversity issues in health. We will examine the relationship between culture and health, the cultural constructions of health and illness, and the ways in which this impacts the doctor-patient relationship, diagnosis, communication, and compliance.  Moreover, we will also review the process of both developing and evaluating health interventions. Lastly, we will apply theory to practice, require critical thought and use a perspective from health psychology to evaluate contemporary issues (such as, but not limited to, the global challenges described above).

Format
The course includes both lectures and interactive modes. We meet twice weekly. One class will consist of a lecture, combined with class discussions. Some of the lectures will be given by guest speakers that are experts on a certain topic. The second class includes student-led presentations and discussions of specific topics, as well as workshops/tutorials that support students with the final term paper. Some lectures are directly based on the reading material, while others use outside readings to elaborate upon related topics.