This module provides an historical background of the origins of contemporary Behavioural Medicine. Key theories and concepts that address the relationships among behavioural, physiological and psychosocial processes linked to health and disease in humans will be explored and critically analysed. Topics may change annually to reflect the debates at the forefront of the discipline, but illustrations of topics include psychological influences on behaviour and health; biological pathways to disease; psychosocial interventions and stress management. These topics will be illustrated through the application and evaluation of biopsychosocial approaches to health and disease. The module will offer both synchronous and asynchronous content.

Summative Assessment:

The written essay will assess learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, and 4 (100%.

Students will be expected to apply theoretical knowledge (e.g., stress buffering/reactivity hypothesis, biobehavioural model, psychoneuroimmunology) when formulating essay answers. They will be expected to provide empirical evidence in support of their arguments and critically evaluate this research to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon in question.

Formative assessment:

Individual one-to-one tutorial - Students will have the opportunity to discuss their essay plan with the tutor and receive verbal formative feedback on structure and content.

Journal club – students will read, summarise and evaluate journal articles related to the content covered in lectures (e.g., essay topics). The journal clubs will help students to identify how psychosocial factors such as stress and social support exert their effects via biological and behavioural pathways to influence illness outcomes and how interventions work via the same pathways to improve illness outcomes. Students will receive verbal formative feedback from staff and peers during the journal clubs.

Case study – students will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of interventions by applying them to a series of case studies throughout the module. Students will receive verbal formative feedback from staff and peers.

Lecture/workshops (30 hours) including assessment preparation support and online asynchronous lectures. Guided independent study (170) guided reading, preparation for journal club and case studies, preparation for assessment, and preparation for individual one-to-one tutorial.

Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the empirical and theoretical underpinnings of contemporary behavioural medicine.

Critically evaluate the different methodologies and methods that inform behavioural medicine: epidemiological, experimental, observational, and health promotion.

Demonstrate an in depth understanding of how the theories and methods of behavioural medicine can be applied to health care and health promotion.

Critically evaluate/appraise contemporary primary source material and be able to produce concise evidence of the analysis of issues and approaches in behavioural medicine.

Blackboard VLE

Library access to relevant textbooks, journals, ebooks

Internet access to relevant websites and online databases

Cornish-Bowden, A. (2005).¿Handbook of stress medicine and health. CRC press.

Gidron, Y. (2019).¿Behavioral Medicine: An Evidence-Based Biobehavioral Approach. Springer.

Miller, R., & Kirschbaum, C. (2019). Cultures under stress: A cross-national meta-analysis of cortisol responses to the Trier Social Stress Test and their association with anxiety-related value orientations and internalizing mental disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 105, 147-154.

Rostosky, S. S., & Riggle, E. D. (2017). Same-sex relationships and minority stress. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 29-38.

Vedhara, K., & Irwin, M. (2005). Human Psychoneuroimmunology. Great Britain: Oxford University Press

However, most of the module will consist of published papers and reviews scattered through the literature, and individual reference will be provided as appropriate.

Students must be enrolled on Psychology Degree. Students must achieve a minimum grade of 55% in the Developmental and Biological psychology cross the Lifespan module at level 5. Transfer students must have achieved a minimum of 55% in core psychology modules covering biological psychology at level 5 before enrolling on this module.

This module provides students with an historical background of the origins of contemporary Behavioural Medicine. Students will explore and critically analyse key theories and concepts that address the relationships among behavioural, physiological and psychosocial processes linked to health and disease in humans.