Important Note
All Semester II bachelor and master psychology courses and examinations (2020-2021) will be offered in an on-line format.
If it is safe and possible to do so, supplementary course meetings may be planned on-campus. However, attendance at these meetings will not be required to successfully complete Semester II courses.
All obligatory work groups and examinations will be offered on-line during Central European Time, which is local time in the Netherlands.
Information on the mode of instruction and the assessment method per course will be offered in Brightspace, considering the possibilities that are available at that moment. The information in Brightspace is leading during the Corona crisis, even if this does not match the information in the Prospectus.
Entry requirements
All 60 ec of the first-year in Psychology obtained.
Description
The course Health and Medical Psychology focuses on health promotion (first 3 weeks) and on illness prevention and coping with chronic diseases (last 5 weeks). In the lectures, theoretical models illustrated with practical examples will be introduced concerning health promotion, symptom perception, stress-related symptoms, coping with chronic diseases, and psychological interventions in chronic disease. The lecture topics are the following:
Part 1:
Explaining health behaviour (week 1)
Changing health behaviour (week 2)
Health promotion in the workplace (week 3)
Part 2:
Mechanisms and diagnosis of stress-related symptoms (week 4)
Symptom perception and illness (week 5)
Psychosocial consequences of, and how to cope with, chronic disease (week 6)
Pain and pain management (week 7)
Psychological interventions in chronic disease (week 8)
In the work group sessions, students are requested to produce a health promotion leaflet or app on a self-chosen topic (first 3 weeks) and students will practice screening, diagnosing and treating the psychosocial problems of a patient suffering from a chronic disease (last 5 weeks).
Course objectives
Students will:
1. Gain knowledge of the principles of health promotion and apply these to various health behaviours;
2. Gain insight into the role of symptom perception and stress in the development of chronic diseases, and the psychosocial consequences of, and interventions in, chronic diseases;
3. Practice psychological intervention techniques focusing on self-management and quality of life in patients suffering from chronic diseases; and
4. Develop practical skills that will allow them to conduct health promotion programs and work with patients with psychosocial problems as a preparation to the professional setting.
These course objectives will be covered by using different working methods: lectures, work groups, additional assignments and reading (book, reader, additional reading posted on Brightspace). The course objectives will be assessed by a written exam (course objectives 1 and 2) and by assignments in and between work group sessions (course objectives 3 and 4).
Timetable
For the timetables of your lectures, work group sessions, and exams, see the timetables page of your study programme. You will also find the enrolment codes here. Psychology timetables
Registration
Course
Students need to register for lectures, workgroups and exams. Instructions for registration in courses for the 2nd and 3rd year
Elective
Elective students have to enroll for each course separately. For admission requirements contact your study advisor.
Exchange/Study abroad
For admission requirements, please contact your exchange coordinator
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date; students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination. Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
8 2-hour lectures
8 2-hour work group sessions (maximum of 15 students per work group)
Work group attendance is mandatory. Students are required to complete assignments during and in-between the work group sessions.
Assessment method
The final grade is based on a written exam grade (60%) and a work group grade (40%).
The written exam includes 4 open questions (counts for 30% of the written exam grade) and 40 multiple-choice questions (counts for 70% of the written exam grade). One final grade will be given for the written exam; no separate grades for the open and multiple-choice question parts will be provided.
Work group assignments are based on group assignments in part 1 (counts for 40% of the work group grade) and individual and group assignments in part 2 (counts for 60% of the work group grade).
All lectures will be in English. For the written exam, all multiple-choice questions are in English. The open questions are in English; students can answer in Dutch or in English. Work groups will be in Dutch or English (IBP).
Post exam consultation will be on an individual basis. The date and location of the post exam consultation will be posted on Brightspace. In order to be able to attend this post exam consultation, an appointment needs to be made by contacting one of the coordinators. Post-exam evaluation will be possible only on the designated date and at the designated time.
Study materials for the written exam are:
Morrison V. & Bennet P. (2016). An Introduction to Health Psychology. Pearson / Prentice Hall, Harlow.
The Weblectures,
The lecture slides posted on Brightspace and
Additional literature posted on Brightspace with the lectures.
Study materials for the work groups are:
The workgroup reader,
Additional literature posted on Brightspace with the work groups.
The Institute of Psychology uses fixed rules for grade calculation and compulsory attendance. It also follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of these three policies.
Reading list
Lectures:
Morrison V. & Bennet P. (2016). An Introduction to Health Psychology. Pearson / Prentice Hall, Harlow.
Additional literature posted on Brightspace with the lectures.
Workgroups:
Reader Health and Medical Psychology available on Brightspace.
Additional literature posted on Brightspace with the work groups.
Contact information
Dr. Véronique de Gucht degucht@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. Judy Veldhuijzen d.s.veldhuijzen@fsw.leidenuniv.nl