About the course
Content
The course aims at increase knowledge about psychosocial aspects of cardiovascular disease. The course content will cover causes for mental illness in cardiovascular disease and psychological treatments in this setting. Risk factor management is a major challenge for both primary and secondary prevention and it is, to a large extent, behavioural. Several models for how behaviour can be influenced will be discussed during the course. Some cardiac conditions have special behavioural challenges which will also be discussed in the course. Finally, inequalities when it comes to cardiac risk factors and cardiac rehabilitation, e.g. due to sex, socioeconomic status and mental health, will be covered in this course.
Learning outcomes
After the course the students should be able to:
- account for and evaluate behavioural risk factors for heart disease,
- apply and evaluate theories describing the mutual relationship between heart disease and psychological and behavioural factors,
- identify and analyse important factors for mental health in patients with heart disease and to be able to identify appropriate measures,
- give an account of the basics of motivational interventions and applied behaviour analysis to improve the likelihood of behaviour change in patients with heart disease, as well as discuss inequalities in cardiac care and opportunities to reduce them.
Assessment
Grading system: Fail (U), Pass (G)
Students are examined through a written examination, active contribution to group assignments.
If there are special reasons, students can be examined in an alternative way. Special reasons may based on a decision of special pedagogical support due to some disability from the university's coordinator.
Lecturers
Erik Olsson, Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor at Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University
Els Clays, Associate professor, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University
Molly Byrne, Professor of Health Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Galway