HSC4003 - Psychological Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1 - Explore the psychological factors that influence health and wellbeing;
2 - Discuss the psychological theories that address how people behave when managing health and wellbeing;
3 - Discuss behaviour change theories and therapies, and how they are applied to support positive health and wellbeing outcomes; and,
4 - Review academic literature on behaviour change theory that supports methods used in practice.

Content:

The module will introduce psychological factors which influence health and wellbeing including lifestyle, personality, mental health, motivation and risk taking. You will make links between major psychological theories, concepts and models applying these to health promotion as well as prevention and treatment of disease and illness.

You will develop knowledge and understanding of how people react to, cope with, and recover from illness including cognitive processes, behavioural insights, behaviour change and self-management. We will explore how people cope and manage ill health, and the individual way in which people approach recovery, considering attitudes, feelings, values and goals.

You will consider psychological and behavioural interventions for management and treatment, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling. You will also consider the range of behaviour change theories that can support and manage health and wellbeing issues, this will be underpinned through current literature and why certain methods are more suitable for certain issues. You will also consider a person’s social determinants and how theory can help support the individual from a holistic point of view, not only considering psychology, but sociology and any physiological issues an individual may have. This will be then put into practice and applied, identifying the most suitable therapy for a chosen individual's circumstances.

This module is the psychological part of the biopsychosocial model, which will lay the foundations for the degree in total and enable you to consider the holistic and person-centred care approaches for your future graduate roles and employment.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Lectures will introduce the weekly content of the module identifying key principles/concepts supported by blended learning pre and post session activities on Moodle. The lecture content will be supported by seminars enabling small group discussion, role play, problem-based learning and case study exploration of psychological perspectives in health and wellbeing. Appropriate specialist practitioners and service users will be invited to contribute to sessions to increase the authenticity of the module and highlight employability links. Learning styles will be supported by a variety of resources including videos, reading material, discussion and debate, e-learning modules, problem solving and practical tasks. In the modules, vlogs and blogs serve as powerful tools to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and professional practice. These mediums enhance emotional recognition, digital literacy, and reflective capacity. Blogs and vlogs are increasingly used as teaching methods because they leverage 21st-century technology to promote active learning, increase student engagement, and foster critical thinking. They function as dynamic, flexible, and interactive tools that allow educators to move beyond traditional, passive lecturing, enabling a "flipped classroom" model where learners engage with content before class.

Lectures
Hours: 25
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Seminars/Workshops
Hours: 25
Intended Group Size: 20

Guided independent study
Hours: 250



Further Details Relating to Assessment

Component 001- Presentation (Groups/Pairs) – 5 minutes contribution per student – Choose two behaviour change theories and evaluate how they approach behaviour change. Compare each model, identifying strengths and limitations in supporting people when managing health and wellbeing.

Component 002- Essay 1500 words: You will choose one behaviour change theory and apply this to a case study of your choosing. Demonstrate how it can be applied to support positive health and wellbeing using a range of appropriate literature, that demonstrates this in practice.

The assessments will allow you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories relevant to psychological perspectives on health and wellbeing and allow for practical application of the theories.

Assessment:

Fact File

Module Coordinator - PRS_CODE=
Level - 4
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4S1

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