PY7016 - Responses to Illness (2015/16)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2015/16, but may be subject to modification | ||||||||||||||||
| Module title | Responses to Illness | ||||||||||||||||
| Module level | Masters (07) | ||||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing | ||||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 200 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2015/16(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
N.B. from 2012-13 this module will be taught at Holloway road Building.
This module focuses on the impact of illness on the individual
Prior learning requirements
None
Module aims
• To examine and evaluate psychological and behavioural responses to events during the process of becoming ill and receiving treatment, including experience of symptoms, diagnosis, adjustment to long-term illness and disability, coping with pain and hospitalisation;
• To evaluate psychological theories of coping and adjustment and their contribution to improvements in health care and patient well-being;
• To examine the impact of illness on others.
Syllabus
Coping, adjustment and interventions in chronic illness and disability; caring for the chronically ill; treatment adherence; pain; theories and management; communication in health care settings; satisfaction and adherence; impact of screening for illness and risk of illness; hospitalisation and stressful medical procedures; placebo responses.
Learning and teaching
Eleven, 3 hour, class-based sessions with lectures, presentations and seminar work. As part of this module students are required to engage in a systematic review of relevant literature and a consultancy report focussing on the impact of disease. Students will also be required to carry out substantial independent learning.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Systematically review the ways in which patients respond to illness and medical treatment, and how those responses may influence health and healthcare;
2. Appreciate the effects of individual characteristics on healthcare;
3. Evaluate different psychological approaches to coping and adjustment;
4. Understand the impact of illness and chronic disease on carers.
5. Evaluate the needs of different patient groups for dissemination to diverse audiences;
6. Communicate information about disease impact in a way that can enhance and improve understanding of patient outcomes.
Assessment strategy
The module is assessed in three ways:
1. A systematic literature review of a number of research articles. Systematic reviews should be between 2,000 and 3,000 words and should deal with a topic relevant to the material covered in the module.
2. A brief consultancy report (1000-1500 words) focusing on impact of disease.
3. Students are expected to attend all scheduled sessions. Although there may be occasions when circumstances prevent students from attending (e.g. illness), a minimum of 80% attendance is required overall. For this module this means attending a minimum of 9 of the 11 sessions. Students who leave after signing the register but before the session completes will not be given credit for attendance.
Bibliography
Affleck, G., Tennen, H., Croog, S. & Levine, S. (1987). Causal attribution, perceived benefits, and morbidity after a heart attack: an 8-year study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,55, 29-35.
Donovan, J.L. & Blake, D.R. (1992). Patient non-compliance: deviance or reasoned decision-making? Social Science and Medicine, 34, 507-513.
Horwitz, R.I. & Horwitz, S.M. (1993). Adherence to treatment and health outcomes. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153, 1863-1868.
Kelly, G.R., Mamon, J.A. & Scott, J.E. (1987). Utility of the health belief model in examining medication compliance among psychiatric outpatients. Social Science and Medicine, 25, 1205-1211.
Ley, P. (1982). Satisfaction, compliance and communication. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 21, 241-254.
McGee, H. & Jenkinson, C. (1997). Quality of life: recent advances in theory and methods. Psychology and Health, 12(6), special issue.
Michie, S., Thompson, M., Hankins, M. (2004) To be reassured or to understand? A dilemma in communicating normal cervical screening results.
British Journal of Health Psychology, Feb 2004; Vol 9 (1): 113-123.
Myers, L.B. & Midence, K. (eds.)(1998). Adherence to Treatment in Medical Conditions. Harwood.
Pennebaker (1995). Emotion, Disclosure and Health. Washington: APA.
Petrie, K.J & Weinman, J.A. (1997). Perceptions of Health and Illness. Harwood.
Ried, L.D. & Christiansen, D.B. (1988). A psychosocial perspective in the explanation of patients’ drug-taking behaviour. Social Science and Medicine, 27, 277-285.
Taylor, S.E. (1983). Adjustment to threatening events: A theory of cognitive adaptation. American Psychologist, 38, 1161-1173.