Through the successful completion of the course, students are expected to:

• Determine the interaction of various parameters – biological, psychological and social – in health and illness
• Understand the psychological processes associated with illness
• Assess the health risk of behaviors such as substance use
• To deepen the concepts of pain and stress as well as ways of managing them
• To appreciate the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in health and illness issues
• To appreciate the importance of combining theory and practice in the exercise of profession
• Know the types of intervention programs in the field of Health Psychology and be able to implement them
  

• Adaptation to new situations
• Application of knowledge in practice
• Decision making
• Demonstration of social, professional and ethical responsibility
• Efficient search, analysis, and synthesis of data and information using the essential technologies
• Exercise criticism and self-criticism
• Independent Assignment
• Promotion of free, creative and inductive thinking

Brief Course Description 
The course introduces the applied field of Health Psychology, its basic principles and dimensions. The aim of this field is the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health in healthy individuals and chronically ill people. In particular, the course presents topics such as the concepts of "health" and "disease", the psychological and social factors that shape these concepts, health-related behaviors, relevant sociocognitive models and theories, psychosocial parameters and the effects of chronic disease, finally the interventions in the individual and the community as well as the role of the psychologist in dealing with chronic diseases and other health problems.

The course is divided into the following teaching units: 

• Introduction
• Health, Health Psychology, the biopsychosocial model
• Culture and health
• Social environment and health
• Health-related behaviors
• Factors influencing health behaviors
• Sociocognitive models and theories
• Biobehavioral factors (personality, stress, etc.) and health
• Disease prevention and health promotion
• Chronic diseases and their psychosocial effects
• Pain and pain management
• Health structures and the role of health psychologists in them
• Recapitulation

Written exam at the end of the semester, which includes development, short-answer and/or closed-ended (eg multiple choice) questions.
Evaluation language: Greek
The relevant information is announced in the e-class of the course.

Books

• Karademas, E. C. (2005). Psychology of health. Athens: Gutenberg. Code in Eudoxus [32140]
• Anagnostopoulos, F., & Karademas E. C. (2020). Health and Illness: Psychological Processes. Athens: Livanis. Code in Eudoxus [94692497]
• Papadatou, D., & Anagnostopoulos, F. (2011). Psychology in the field of Health. Athens: Papazisis. Code in Eudoxus [12866927]
• DiMatteo, M. R., & Martin L.E. (2011). Introduction to health psychology (F. Anagnostopoulos & G. Potamianos, Eds.). Athens: Pedio. Code in Eudoxus [12724512]
• Ogden, J. (2016). Psychology of Health (V. Siafaka, Ed.). Athens: Parisianos. Code in Eudoxus [41965274]
• Sarafino, E. P., & Smith, T. W. (2021). Health Psychology (E. C. Karademas, V. Brouskeli & V. Siafaka, Eds.). Athens: Gutenberg. Code in Eudoxus [102074536]

- Related academic journals:

• Health Psychology Review
• Journal of Health Psychology
• Psychology, Health and Medicine

https://eclass.uop.gr/courses/2965/