Logo

Areas of Application of Health Psychology

Code: 102596
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Psychology OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Antoni Font Guiteras
Email :
antonio.font@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Any.

Objectives

This course focuses on the study of the most relevant diseases and health issues, from a biopsychosocial perspective. It looks at the importance of each issue, the study of the biopsychosocial determinants and psychobiological aspects involved in each organic system and takes a broad view of the possibilities of psychosocial approach (prevention, intervention, improved quality of life, etc.).

The objectives are:

  • Understand the importance and psychosocial consequences of major health problems
  • Recognize the main determinants involved in its development
  • Describe the main psychobiological and social aspects involved
  • Assess the potential and suitability of different forms of psychosocial intervention in addressing these health problems 

Learning outcomes

  1. Identify the main psychological determinants affecting the development of health problems and ways of tackling them.
  2. Identify the need for intervention in health problems in different applied contexts.
  3. Formulate demands of people and institutions on health issues in functional terms.
  4. Recognise patterns and stages of health needs assessment.
  5. Recognise the stages of intervention in health problems.
  6. Recognise the differential health demands depending on the age, gender and the nature of the disease or dysfunction.
  7. Apply assessment techniques.
  8. Apply communication skills.
  9. Recognise the ethical implications of the various programs, techniques and interventions in health psychology.
  10. Identify the main obstacles to effective communication among professionals and recipients in the area of health.
  11. Analyse scientific texts written in English.
  12. Use different ICTs for different purposes.
  13. Maintain a favourable attitude towards the permanent updating through critical evaluation of scientific documentation, taking into account its origin, situating it in an epistemological framework and identifying and contrasting its contributions in relation to the available disciplinary knowledge.
  14. Recognise personal limitations and limitations of the discipline in the different areas of professional practice.
  15. Assess the impact of the difficulties, prejudices and discriminations that actions or projects may involve, in the short or long term, in relation to certain persons or groups.
  16. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  17. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.

Contents

1. Health Literacy and Empowerment in Health


• Concept and dimensions of health literacy


• Changes in the health care model: participatory medicine


• Levels of health information


• Patient Empowerment: process and examples


• e-health


 


2. Actions in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention


• Prevention of toxic habits


• Promotion of healthy behaviours and prevention of contagious diseases


• Psychological treatment in:


Eating behaviour, overweight and obesity


Activity, rest and sleep


Affective and sexual behaviours


. The health psychologist in hospitals and health centres: actions in tertiary prevention: Cardiovascular disorders, respiratory diseases, hepatic and digestive disorders, immunological diseases, degenerative illness


• Traumatology and rehabilitation


3. Diabetes
• Epidemiology


• Definition and basic concepts


• Disease Characteristics


• Prevention


• Intervention


 


4. Oncological psychology


• Epidemiological and medical aspects of cancer treatment.


• Strategy for the Development of Oncological Psychology


• Psychological factors in cancer


• Intervention in Oncological Psychology


• Multidisciplinary teams and psychological therapies in cancer treatment.


 


5. Palliative care


• Definition, development and characteristics of palliativecare


• Processes and psychological models in terminally ill patients


• Intervention in palliative care


• Pros and cons of euthanasia


• The process of bereavement


 


6. Psycho-Ecology of Health


• Promotion of personal well-being: factors associated with individual happiness


• Promotion of social and labor welfare, and prevention of burnout


• Contextual Health Promotion: Introduction to Ecological Health

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Readings and preparation of expositions 24 0.96 16, 17
Studying 50 2 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14
Seminars of analysis, debate and applications 12 0.48 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Master classes with ICT support and activities with the large group 24 0.96 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14
Support to the elaboration of works and reports 12 0.48 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17
Works, field activities 24 0.96 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Teaching methodology based mainly on master classes with ICT support and seminars on the analysis and application of topics worked on in the subject, with specific practical work for each topic and analysis and debate on the specific practical contribution of the psychologist in Health Psychology.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
EVIDENCE 1: Reports (1a,1b, 1c) related to the first three seminars 15% 0 0 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
EVIDENCE 3: Reports (3a,3b,3c) related to the last three seminars 15% 0 0 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
EVIDENCE 2: Written test, about the topics 1, 2 and 3 35% 2 0.08 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14
EVIDENCE 4: Written test, about the topics 4, 5 and 6 35% 2 0.08 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14

In the link https://www.uab.cat/doc/DOC_PautesAvaluacio_2026 you will find the evaluation guidelines of the Faculty


Two partial exams will be undertaken, each worth 35% of the final grade. The grades obtained in two blocks of activity reports related to the seminars are added, each of them will count 15% of the final grade (30% together).

To pass the subject, the average of marks of the two partial exams (assessments 2 and 4) must be equal or superior to 5 (on a scale from 0 to 10). That is, a minimum of 3.5 points must be obtained in the sum of assessments 2 and 4.

In total, the students are offered 4 assessments, which are worth 10 points:

Assessment 1: Written report (individual or group) of activities related to seminars 1, 2 and 3: 1.5 points. Way of presentation, through a specific section in the Moodle classroom of the subject.

Assessment 2: Written test on areas 1, 2 and 3 of the programme: 3.5 points (individual)

Assessment 3: Written report (individual or group) of activities related to seminars 4, 5 and 6: 1,5 points. Way of presentation, through a specific section in the Moodle classroom of the subject.

Assessment 4: Written test on areas 4, 5 and 6 of the programme: 3.5 points (individual)


RETURN:

Evidence 1: Set of reports from seminars 1, 2 and 3. The return consists of a grade between 0 and 1.5 points, throughout week 7, in the Moodle classroom of the subject.

Evidence 2: In person exam on the first three topics of the subject. It is carried out in week 7 and the grade is reported the day after the test.

Evidence 3. Set of reports from seminars 4, 5 and 6. The return consists of a grade between 0 and 1.5 points, throughout week 19, in the Moodle classroom of the subject.

Evidence 4: In person exam on the last three topics of the subject. It is carried out in week 19 and the grade is reported the day after the test.


Regarding evidence 1 and 3, students who request it will be able to receive detailed information on the elements that have led to a certain grade, in face-to-face tutorials and/or by TEAMS


The final grade is the sum of the four evidences. No additional tests are undertaken to improve the grades obtained in the four evidences.

The subject is deemed to be passed if 5 or more points are obtained in the sum of the 4 assessments, as long as 4 points or more have been in each evaluation tests that have a contribution equal to or greater than 20% of the grade of this continuous evaluation, that is, in evidences 2 and 4. Not meeting these criteriameans that a maximum grade of 4.5 marks (range 0-10) can be recorded on the student’s academic transcript.

A student who has submitted assessments with a weighting equal to or greater than 4 points (40%) will obtain a grade. A student with lower assessment grades will be \"not evaluable\".


Re-assessment

All the following criteria must be met in order to go to re-assessment:

a) Having obtained between 3.5 and less than 5 points in the continuous assessment.

b) The weight of the assessments which the student has submitted during the course must be 66.7% or more.

Characteristics of the resit test:

It will consist in re-taking Ev2 or Ev4 assessments, with the same characteristics and correction criteria as in the first time. Assessments EV1 and EV3 cannot be re-assessed, because it is not possible to repeat the seminars (so, the same grades will be added to the final grade).

Re-assessment will take place in the period allocated for resits, the day and time being determined by the Faculty.

No unique final synthesis test for students who enroll for the second time or more is anticipated.

This subject does not consider single assessment


Us of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Model 2 - Restricted use: For this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed exclusively in support tasks, such as bibliographic or information search, text correction or translations.The student will have to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The non-transparency of the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in cases of severity.

Bibliography

Basic:

Fonamental

Amigo Váquez, I, Fernández Rodríguez, C. y Pérez Álvarez, M. (2009). Manual de psicologia de la Salud (3 ed.) Madrid: Pirámide.

Brannon. L i Feist, J. (2001). Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: Paraninfo. 

Gil Moncayo, F. (2000). Manual de Psico-oncología. Madrid: Nova Sidonia.

Gil Roales-Nieto, J (2004). Psicología de la Salud. Aproximación histórica, conceptual y aplicaciones. Madrid: Pirámide.

Pastor, A. y López, S. (2015). Psicología de la rehabilitación y problemas de salud crónicos. Editorial electrónica Universitas Miguel Hernández.

Psicooncología: Investigación y clínica biopsicosocial en oncología: http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/ejemplar?codigo=366493

Taylor, S. (2007). Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: McGraw-Hil (recommended)

 

Complementary:

Asociación Española Contra el Càncer: http://www.todocancer.com/esp

Asociación Internacional de Psicooncología: http://www.ipos-society.org/congress/psychosocial_academy.aspx

Avellaneda, A.; Martínez, I. (2008). Síndrome de Fatiga Crónica. Documento de consenso. Madrid: Editorial Médica.

de Miquel, C.A. et al. (2010). Documento de Consenso interdisciplinar para el tratamiento de la fibromialgia. Actas españolas de psiquiatría, 38(2), 108-121.

Bakker, A., Rodríguez-Muñoz, A, y Derks, D (2012). La emergencia de la psicología de la salud ocupacional positiva. Psicothema 24, (1), 66-72.

Ballesteros, V. y Daponte, A. (2011). Urbanismo, medio ambiente y salud. Granada: Observatorio de Salud y Medio Ambiente de Andalucía (OSMAN)

Barrueco, M., Hernández, M.A. y Torrecilla, M. (2009). Manual de Prevención y Tratamiento del Tabaquismo. Euromedice. Badalona. Ediciones Médicas S.L.

Federación Española de sociedades de sexología. http://fess.org.es/salud-sexual

Fundación para la Diabetes: http://www.fundaciondiabetes.org/

Gorreto, L., Duro, R. et al (2017). Guía de intervención individual para el tratamiento del tabaquismo. Direcció General de Salut Pública i Participació. Govern de les Illes Balears.

Health Literacy. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthliteracy.html

Merayo Rodríguez J, Serrano Fuentes N, Marqués Sánchez P. Influencia de los espacios verdes urbanos en la salud mental. Metas Enferm nov 2016; 19(9): 20-26.

Ogden, J. (2007). Essential readings in health psychology. Berkshire, UK: Open University Press

Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS): http://www.who.int/es/

Plá, J y Salvador, J. (2006) Aspectos psicológicos de las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Acción Médica. ISBN 84-88336-56-X

Pérez, M., Fernández, J.R., Fernández, C. y Amigo, I. (2003). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces II: Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: Pirámide.

Remor, E. Arranz, P. y Ulla, S. (eds.)  El psicólogo en el ámbito hospitalario. Desclee de Brouwer. 

Revista interdisciplinar de Psicooncología: http://www.ucm.es/info/apsom/revistapsicooncologia/

Salanova, M. (2008). Organizaciones saludables: una perspectiva desde la psicología positiva. En C. Vázquez y G. Hervás (ed.). Psicología Positiva: Bases científicas del bienestar y la resilencia. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Salanova, M. (dir.)(2009). Psicología de la salud ocupacional. Ed. Síntesis. 

Sociedad Americana contra el Cáncer: http://www.cancer.org/Espanol/index

Sociedad Española de Cuidados Paliativos: http://www.secpal.com

Sociedad Española de Diabetes: http://www.sediabetes.org/

Soriano, J., Montsalve, V. Santolaya, F, et al (2009). Guía práctica de Psicología de la Salud en el ámbito hospitalario.Valencia: Grafamar.

 

Note: You can find documentation acquired by the library and additional free access by following the instructions on the following link: https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/guibib/224929/bibrecdigitals.pdf

 

Software

none

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 111 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 112 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed