Psychology in Medicine: Emotions, Behaviors, and Disease

• Program: Summer Pre-College Courses
• Course Code: CEPY0937
• How to Apply

One Section Available to Choose From:

Course Description

Have you ever wondered where the terms “cold feet” or “butterflies in your stomach” come from? Did you know that “mood rings” are based in real biological principles? This course will answer these and other questions related to the role of psychology in the onset, course, and treatment of medical conditions.

This course will provide an overview of the principles and applications of health psychology "the study of how biology, psychology, and social processes work together to impact a person’s health and illness. Students will learn how a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence their body and will gain an appreciation of just how interconnected someone’s mental and physical health can be.

Health psychology topics will be discussed in terms of common illness presentations (e.g., cardiovascular disease, chronic pain) and behaviors (e.g., sleep, substance use, diet/exercise). Although health psychology topics will be applied to children and adults of all ages, the course will focus on issues that are relevant to teenagers and young adults. For example, we will discuss what stress is, links between stress and physiological functioning, and how stress reduction promotes better health. Students will learn about the role of sleep in the teenage brain (e.g., Why am I so tired during first period?), why health behaviors are so hard to change (e.g., How can I get motivated to exercise?), and why some behaviors (even video games!) can seem addictive. This course will be interactive and discussion-based. For example, students will monitor one of their own health behaviors during the course and will apply health psychology principles to hypothetical patients.

After taking this course, students will be able to explain the role of the psychologist within the medical setting, articulate the “biopsychosocial” model of health, give examples of bidirectional relationships between psychological and physical functioning, and apply health psychology principles to common medical conditions in children and adults.