Lesson Structure

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. How a Healthy Lifestyle can Impact Physical & Mental Health
   • Health
   • Definitions of health
   • Stress & health
   • Exercise
   • What happens to the body when we exercise?
   • Diet and nutrition
   • Acute and chronic stress
2. Mental Disorders - Signs & Symptoms
   • Introduction
   • Definitions of mental disorder
   • Role of the clinician
   • Types of symptoms
   • Signs & symptoms of disorders
3. Physical Illnesses with a Mental Dimension
   • Psychological factors in physical illness
   • What is a psychosomatic illness?
   • Psychological factors in accidents & illness
   • Immune system & health
   • Stress & the immune system
   • Stress associated with physical illnesses
   • Psychological response to injury or disease
   • Personality and attitudes
   • Chronic physical illnesses with mental health associations
   • Psychobiotics - interaction between the mind and body
4. Mental Problems & Disorders with a Physical Dimension
   • Introduction
   • Depression
   • Anxiety
   • Eating disorders
   • Dementia
   • Patient’s emotional reaction to physical illness
   • The importance of sleep
   • Summary
5. Role of Psychology in Managing Physical and Mental Illnesses
   • Health psychology
   • Factors affecting psychological & physical health
   • Traditional medical interventions
   • Helping people with transition - what can we do to help ourselves?
   • What can we do to improve our mental health?
   • Using mindfulness
6. Providing Better Mental Health Services
   • Towards better health care services
   • Impact of health psychology
   • Improving services
   • Raising public awareness
   • Providing better pubic access to health care
   • Wider recognition of health relationships
   • Health benefits of a biophilic landscape
7. Business Opportunities in the Health Psychology Industry
   • Opportunities working in health
   • Play therapy – a tool for managing psychological health
   • Final assessment

Who is this Course For?

• Counsellors, health professionals, welfare workers - wanting to improve their understanding of the link between psychology and health
• Fitness professionals seeking to appreciate the link between wellbeing and state of mind
• Teachers, media professionals or any others wishing to learn more about the subject.
• Sports coaches
• Students or graduates in psychology, health sciences or related disciplines