PSY-257: Health Psychology

School
Liberal Arts
Division
Social Sciences
Department
Psychology
Academic Level
Undergraduate
Course Subject
Psychology
Course Number
257
Course Title
Health Psychology
Credit Hours
3.00
Instructor Contact Hours Per Semester
47.00 (for 15-week classes)
Student Contact Hours Per Semester
47.00 (for 15-week classes)
Grading Method
A-E
Pre-requisites
PSY-131 with a C grade or higher
Catalog Course Description

Explores the psychological dimensions of health and the prevention and management of illness. Emphasizes interaction between biological, social, and psychological factors in health and medical problems. Topics include the history and research methods of health psychology, biological foundations of health and illness, stress, prevention and positive psychology, exercise, sleep, and injury control, nutrition and eating disorders, substance abuse, chronic and life-threatening illnesses, complementary and alternative medicine, pain management, and the role of health psychology in healthcare settings.

Goals, Topics, and Objectives

Goal Statement

This course explores the psychological dimensions of health and the prevention and management of illness. The interaction between biological, social, and psychological factors in health and medical problems is emphasized.

Core Course Topics
  1. Introducing Health Psychology
    1. Describe the development of health psychology as a discipline.
    2. Describe the scope of the field of health psychology.
    3. Explain how the biopsychosocial model promotes the understanding of health and illness.
    4. Describe the basic concepts that guide the work of the health psychologist.
  2. Research in Health Psychology
    1. Compare and contrast research methods used in the field of health psychology.
  3. Biological Foundations of Health and Illness
    1. Describe the biological foundations of health and illness.
  4. Stress
    1. Describe the physiology of stress.
    2. Compare and contrast the major models of stress and illness.
    3. Explain the psychosocial sources of stress.
    4. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  5. Coping with Stress
    1. Describe various coping strategies and factors affecting the ability to cope.
    2. Explain the various coping interventions.
    3. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  6. Staying Healthy
    1. Explain major theories of health and behavior.
    2. Compare and contrast the types of prevention.
    3. Explain positive psychology and thriving.
    4. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  7. Exercise, Sleep, and Injury Control
    1. Describe physical activity, exercise, and fitness, and highlight their benefits.
    2. Describe sleep and its role in a healthy lifestyle.
    3. Describe injury control and its role in a healthy lifestyle.
    4. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  8. Nutrition, Obesity, and Eating Disorders
    1. Explain the relationship between nutrition and disease.
    2. Explain factors involved in weight determination.
    3. Describe obesity from a biopsychosocial perspective, including causal factors, prevention, and treatments.
    4. Describe eating disorders from a biopsychosocial perspective, including causal factors, prevention, and treatments.
    5. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  9. Substance Abuse
    1. Describe mechanisms of drug action and models of addiction.
    2. Describe alcohol use and abuse from a biopsychosocial perspective, including causal factors, prevention, and treatments.
    3. Describe tobacco use (including electronic cigarettes) and abuse from a biopsychosocial perspective, including causal factors, prevention, and treatment.
    4. Describe electronic cigarette and marijuana use from a biopsychosocial perspective.
    5. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  10. Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
    1. Describe cardiovascular disease and diabetes from a biopsychosocial perspective, including risk factors, prevention, and treatments.
    2. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  11. Cancer
    1. Describe cancer from a biopsychosocial perspective, including risk factors, prevention, treatments, and coping mechanisms.
    2. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  12. HIV/AIDS and Other Communicable Diseases
    1. Explain the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a biopsychosocial perspective.
    2. Describe symptoms and stages, medical and psychosocial interventions, and coping with HIV and AIDS.
    3. Explain other communicable diseases from a biopsychosocial perspective.
    4. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  13. The Role of Health Psychology in Health Career Settings
    1. Describe the criteria used to recognize and interpret symptoms.
    2. Describe characteristics of those seeking treatment and explain patient adherence to treatment.
    3. Explain the patient-provider relationship, including factors affecting the relationship, relationship models, communication, and the role of the Internet.
    4. Describe the current and changing health care system.
    5. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  14. Managing Pain
    1. Describe the various aspects of pain, including measurement, physiology, psychosocial factors involved, and treatment.
    2. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.
  15. Complementary and Alternative Medicine
    1. Compare and contrast traditional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine across cultures.
    2. Explain the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine.
    3. Explain how complementary and alternative medicine is indicative of a paradigm shift in medicine and healthcare in the United States.
    4. Analyze the importance of psychological factors, gender, ethnicity and culture, spirituality, sexuality, and age involved in health and illness.

Assessment and Requirements

Assessment of Academic Achievement

Each instructor will identify and implement appropriate methods to assess the achievement of the learning objectives for the course. These methods can include, but are not necessarily limited to, true-false, multiple-choice, matching, and essay examinations, as well as out-of-class papers, Internet assignments, audio and/or video conferences, and library projects.

Texts

Determined by full-time faculty.

Outcomes

General Education Categories
  • Social Sciences
Institutional Outcomes
  • Civil Society and Culture - U.S. and Global
MTA Categories
  • Category 4: Social Sciences

Credit for Prior College-Level Learning

Options for Credit for Prior College-Level Learning
Other
Other Details

Determined by department

Approval Dates

Effective Term
Fall 2020
ILT Approval Date
AALC Approval Date
Curriculum Committee Approval Date
Review Semester
Fall 2020