Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Fundamentals of Health Psychology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Students may contact both the subject coordinator and their tutor by e-mail.
Introduction
The management of suffering and the development of a mature personality make Psychology a profession in which professional ethics take on special relevance in guaranteeing the professional's own maturity and a job well done. Issues such as knowledge and truth, human dignity and freedom, as well as the limits of human beings will be addressed from an anthropological perspective.
To ensure professional excellence, the main ethical codes will be discussed, and students will be provided a series of practical cases that cover a wide range of behaviours in which ethical criteria are put into play. You will be provided tools for ethical knowledge, reflection and debate.
The Entrepreneurship and Personal Brand module involves developing the skills and strategies that health psychology professionals must have to enter the labour market, where they can develop their knowledge, expertise and techniques and use them to help society and people. Students will work on aspects related to the labour market, entrepreneurship and personal branding so that, by the end of the master's degree , they will be able to chart their own professional path according to their skills, abilities, interests and strategy. Incorporating a business vision into the general health psychologist profession.
This subject also includes training sessions on necessary aspects of the Final Master’s Degree Project (TFM).
Pre-course requirements
None
Objectives
- To become familiar with key aspects of the human dimension from an anthropological perspective
- To become familiar with the fundamental concepts of ethics
- To become familiar with the main ethical codes related to the practice of Psychology
- To help students reflect on ethical issues related to the client/patient, the practice of the profession, as well as their own lives
- The objective of the Entrepreneurship and Personal Brand module is to help students develop the strategic, practical and operational vision of the business model applicable to the chosen area in order to be able to put it into practice at the end of the master’s programme.
- To acquire the necessary knowledge to carry out the TFM.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB10 - Students should have learning skills that allow them to continue studying in a largely self-directed or autonomous manner.
- CB6 - Have and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity for the student to develop and/or apply original ideas, often in the context of research.
- CB7 - Students should be able to apply their knowledge and ability to solve problems in new or little-known environments, within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their area of study.
- CB8 - Students should be able to integrate their knowledge and cope with the complexity of formulating judgements based on information that, being incomplete or limited, includes reflection on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements.
- CB9 - Students should be able to communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments supporting these conclusions in a clear and unambiguous manner to specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- CE11 - Understanding of the obligations and responsibilities of healthcare personnel regarding confidentiality of information and protection of patient personal data.
- CE16 - Extensive understanding of the different evaluation and intervention models in the field of General Health Psychology, as well as the techniques and procedures derived therefrom to address behavioural disorders and the psychological factors associated with health problems in different contexts (private, primary care, community, crisis and emergency situations).
- CE19 - Know the activities necessary for the constitution, start-up and management of a company, its different legal forms and the associated legal, accounting and tax obligations.
- CE2 - Apply the fundamentals of bioethics and the method of deliberation in professional practice, aligning their practice as a health professional to the provisions of Law 44/2003, of 21 November, on the organisation of the healthcare professions.
- CE20 - Knowledge of the current regulations in the Spanish healthcare field.
- CE4 - Analyse critically and use clinical information sources.
- CE7 - Formulate working hypotheses in research and collect and critically evaluate information to solve problems, applying the scientific method.
- CE8 - Know the framework for action of the general health psychologist in different contexts and know how to refer patients to the respective specialised professional.
- CG1 - Ability to use the different information and communication technologies in professional performance in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CG2 - Formulate working hypotheses in research and critically assess information to solve problems, applying the scientific method in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT1 - Evaluate inequalities based on sex and gender, to design mechanisms for achieving real equality, avoiding partial and discriminatory interpretations in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT2 - Implement strategies to promote gender equality, equity and respect for human rights in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT3 - Demonstrate ethical and professional commitment to civic and social responsibilities, especially regarding equality between people and respect for diversity in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT4 - Connect knowledge in a critical, synthetic and rigorous way in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT8 - Identify personal and professional limitations in the practice of their profession.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Upon completion of this subject, students should:
- Be familiar with the National Health System and the fields of action of general health psychologists.
- Be familiar with the occupations, obligations and responsibilities and ethical aspects of Psychology in the health field.
- Be able to identify strategies for promoting gender equality, equity and respect for human rights.
- Be familiar with and know how to access sources of information and find data on the efficacy and clinical utility of psychological techniques and interventions.
- Know how to analyse and interpret research data within the framework of their disciplinary knowledge, draw conclusions from this data and communicate information to the professional and scientific community.
- Be able to plan the implementation of a professional, distinctive, sustainable and legal activity.
Syllabus
INTRODUCTORY SESSION:
What is a general health psychologist, what are their functions and areas of work?
ANTHROPOLOGY MODULE
- 1. - Knowledge and truth
- 2. - Human dignity
- 3. - Human freedom
- 4. - The limits of human beings: disease, suffering and death
ETHICS MODULE
1.- Code of ethics
2.- Practical cases
ENTREPRENEURSHIP MODULE
The contents of this subject will vary and will follow the principles of agile methodologies applied to the interest of each student. Each student will be responsible for the clarity of their work in contributing to their development. The areas that will be addressed during the course will be:
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
- 1.1. Definition and basic concepts of entrepreneurship
- 1.2. The role of general health psychologists as entrepreneurs
- 1.3. Advantages and challenges of entrepreneurship in Psychology
- 1.4. Case studies: Successful examples of entrepreneurship in Psychology
- Business Idea Development
- 2.1. Identification of business opportunities
- 2.2. Business idea development
- 2.3. Evaluation of the feasibility of the idea
- 2.4. Creation of a unique value proposition
- Preparation of a Business Plan
- 3.1. Importance of a business plan
- 3.2. Essential components of a business plan
- 3.3. Examples and analysis of real business plans
- Market study
- 4.1. Definition and importance of market research
- 4.2. How to conduct a market study
- 4.3. Analysis of supply and demand and competition
- 4.4. Interpretation and application of the results of the market study
- Marketing plan
- 5.1. Marketing basics
- 5.2. Creating an effective marketing plan
- 5.3. Online and offline marketing for psychologists
- 5.4. Pricing, distribution and communication strategies
- Personal Brand for General Health Psychologists
- 6.1. Definition and importance of a personal brand
- 6.2. How to build a strong personal brand
- 6.3. Tools for improving online visibility and reputation
- 6.4. Personal brand management and professional ethics
- Financial Aspects of Entrepreneurship
- 7.1. Startup funding: sources and options
- 7.2. Understanding basic financial statements
- 7.3. Financial evaluation of the business plan
- 7.3. Calculation of the break-even point and profitability
- Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship in Psychology
- 8.1. Legal forms to create your business
- 8.2. Legal and fiscal obligations of entrepreneurs
- 8.3. Legal aspects of the practice of Psychology
- 8.4. Data protection and confidentiality in the practice of Psychology
- Entrepreneurship Skills
- 9.1. Team leadership and management skills
- 9.2. Time management and productivity
- 9.3. Decision making and risk management
- 9.4. Stress and failure management
- 9.5. Networking and negotiation skills
- Social Responsibility and Ethics of Entrepreneurship
- 10.1. Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- 10.2. Ethics in business management and customer service
- 10.3. Implementation of CSR practices in the business
- 10.4. Social impact of Psychology and entrepreneurship in health
- Presentation of Business Plans
- 11.1. Preparation of the business plan presentation
- 11.2. Business plan evaluation criteria
- 11.3. Presentation of student business plans
- 11.4. Feedback and evaluation of business plans
TFM MODULE
The seminars will take place throughout year one.
- Seminar 1: Introduction to the Final Master's Degree Project
- Seminar 2: Preparing the introduction to the TFM
- Seminar 3: Methodological aspects of research projects
- Seminar 4: Jamovi software
- Seminar 5: Writing the TFM
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The methodology that will be used will involve lectures, practical exercises, debates and reflection activities.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The assessment will be divided into 3 parts:
Part 1: ETHICS 30%
- Individual work 40%
- Exam the last day of this part 60% (open questions on a specific text)
Part 2: ANTHROPOLOGY 20%
- 20% Exam
Part 3: ENTREPRENEURSHIP and PERSONAL BRANDING 50%
- 20% Coursework
- 60% The business project
- 20% Presentation of the business project
First sitting: To pass the course, students must earn a mark of at least 5 (pass) in all parts.
Second sitting: The mark earned in all passed parts will be kept, while the assessment activities in all failed parts will have to be repeated.
Any plagiarism or copying that is detected in any part of the Final Project will result in failure of that part.