Program Overview

PSYC4003: Health Psychology

Overview

Comorbid physical and mental health conditions are increasingly prevalent, requiring complex management and specialised interdisciplinary care. Health Psychology, a subdiscipline of psychology, is a rapidly developing field of study which examines the inter-relationships between biological, psychological, and social/cultural factors that affect health, illness, and recovery - recognising that health is far more than the absence of disease.

Unit Details

• Study level: Undergraduate
• Academic unit: Psychology Academic Operations
• Credit points: 6

Enrolment Rules

• Prerequisites: 6cp of PSYC3XXX and an additional 6cp of 3000-level units of study
• Corequisites: None
• Prohibitions: None
• Assumed knowledge: Students who have not completed PSYC3020 may be required to do additional reading

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

• Develop an understanding of the key goals of health psychology and the role of health psychologists, with a focus on post/pandemic era.
• Demonstrate an understanding of:
  • key dimensions of health and quality of life and the effect of illness for both patients and families
  • important time points in the illness trajectory including diagnosis, survivorship, and end-of-life
  • the management of psychological sequelae arising from specific illness/treatment/hospitalisation
  • health inequalities and the experiences of vulnerable groups
  • the healthcare system, with a particular focus on cross-cultural, social, and gender inequalities.
• Explain how medical and risk communication and un/informed decision-making can affect healthcare outcomes.
• Apply health psychology models and frameworks to healthcare interventions to address psychological impacts of health conditions.
• Design an evidence-based health intervention that is feasible to implement to achieve best possible health outcomes.
• Critically assess the effectiveness and applicability of psychosocial interventions for implementation in various health contexts.
• Communicate key information extracted from theoretical and empirical literature clearly and effectively.

Unit Availability

This unit is available in different sessions and modes of attendance, including:

• Semester 2 2021: Departmental Permission, Normal day, Camperdown / Darlington, Sydney
• Semester 2 2021: Departmental Permission, Normal day, Remote
• Semester 2 2022: Normal day, Camperdown / Darlington, Sydney
• Semester 2 2022: Normal day, Remote

Modes of Attendance

The Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when selecting units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.