BSc Psychology

Health psychology is ‘the scientific study of psychological processes of health, illness and health care’ (as defined by The Division of Health Psychology, The British Psychological Society).  Health Psychology is a division of the British Psychological Society and health psychologists currently work as practitioners and researchers in many environments including the NHS, public health and academia.      

Health psychologists are interested in; the promotion and maintenance of health; ways to improve health care services and policy; the prevention and treatment of illness and understand the causes of illness.  More information about Health Psychology in the UK can be found on the Division of Health Psychology’s WebPages: https://www.bps.org.uk/health-psychologist-job-profile and here https://www.bps.org.uk/node/1662

Health psychologists work with all groups in society as the main causes of death in the western world are associated with lifestyle behaviours (e.g., cardiovascular disease and diet).  This unit will focus on this element of a health psychologist’s interest. See here about Health Psychology at the University of Manchester http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/healthpsychology/ including a video “What is Health Psychology?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qink-sq-f60&feature=youtu.be

Examples of lifestyle behaviours that may be addressed on this unit are:  

• Smoking
• Physical activity and exercise
• Alcohol consumption
• Sexual behaviour
• Indoor tanning
• Sleep
• Oral health behaviours

Cutting across these aspects of lifestyle, the unit will explore the role of psychological theory as framework for understanding lifestyle behaviours and the design, conduct and measurement of interventions to change lifestyle behaviours.  Furthermore, information will be provided about the Government policy and targets and the role these play in influencing health care services and research.

The course is an optional Year 3 course unit for the BSc (Hons) Psychology. 

Building on previous knowledge (see recommended PSYC21032 and PSYC21041), the unit aims to:

• Make students aware of the career path of a health psychologist and the work health psychologists are likely to be engaged in.
• Provide students with a clear understanding of the relationship between lifestyle behaviours and health.
• Enable students to understand, evaluate and discuss the application of psychology to understanding choices regarding lifestyle behaviours.
• Present students with several different health psychology models and explain their use in the prediction of lifestyle behaviours.
• Highlight the real-life application of psychology to behaviour change interventions for lifestyle behaviours.
• Advance students’ ability to apply theoretical models in health psychology to developing ‘real world’ interventions.

5 x 2 hr synchronous in person lectures, 5 x 2 hr asynchronous online content sessions plus 4 x 2 hour in-person seminars; 2 x 2hr coursework support sessions. E-learning provision: Lecture content, supplementary reading and resources, and a monitored discussion board will be provided via Canvas. We will go through a worked example in the seminars and hold a recap session at the end of the semester.  

• Describe the relationship between lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes
• Describe several behaviour change techniques and their role in health interventions that aim to change lifestyle behaviours
• Summarise knowledge about the current evidence-base of the key aspects of lifestyle
• Recognise the importance of evidence-based interventions
• Understand the link between Government policy, the commissioning of healthcare and the role of psychology 

• Assess the theoretical usefulness of several health psychology models in the prediction of lifestyle behaviours
• Evaluate contemporary health psychology research on at least one lifestyle behaviour
• Identify the key issues regarding lifestyle arising from the literature, and be able to summarise into research questions
• Design a health intervention based on a theoretical framework and to write up a report 

• Perform literature searches 

• Identify the career pathway of a health psychologist
• Communicate in structured group discussions about lifestyle, health and real-world intervention 

 Students will receive a grade and written feedback

BOOKS:

• Prestwich, Kenworthy & Conner (2017). Health Behaviour Change: Theories, Methods and Interventions. Routledge  
• Hagger, Cameron, Hamilton, Hankonen & Lintunen (Eds.) (2020) The Handbook of Behaviour Change. Cambridge University Press
• Michie et al (2014). The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Handbook for Designing Interventions. Silverback Publishing.

JOURNALS:

• British Journal of Health Psychology
• Psychology and Health
• Health Psychology
• Journal of Health Psychology
• Psychology, Health and Medicine