Course: Psychology of Health

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Course title Psychology of Health
Course code KPS/PSZ
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 3
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 2
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Malá Dagmar, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Bouda Antonín, PhDr. Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Beláňová Eva, Mgr.
  • Králová Veronika, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Subject of psychology of health. Conception of health and healthy personality. Somatic, psychic, spiritual and social aspects of health. Theories of health. Healthy lifestyle. Programs of psychology of health. 2. Physiology of stress, first symptoms of stress, diagnostic of stress, somatization of stress. Analysis of stesors. Theory of life events. 3. Relation between demanding life situation and techniques of coping with them in context of health. Ways of coping with life problems. 4. Emotionality and human health. Influence of negative emotions on health. Emotional injury. Problems with forgiveness. 5. Burnout syndrom and coping strategies. Prevention of loss of enthusiasm. Minimize stress by using time-management. 6. Psychoneuroimmunology. Immunology, immune system and his function.Immunization. Dysfunction of immune system. Relation betweeen immune system and psychological phenomenons. 7. Mental hygiene and her meaning in prevention of psychosomatic diseases. Term ?mental hygiene? General expectations of mental balance. Mature personality. Self-education. Mental health diagnosis. Neuroses, neuroticism, neurotic pupils and teachers. Mental hygiene in school. 8. Behaviour which causes health damage (smoking, alkoholism, drug addiction, sexual promiscuity and risky sex, gambling, obesity, anorexia nervosa, accidents and injuries) 9. Increase of stress resistance by changing posture, increasing self-confidenceor by social help. Theories of social support. 10. Meaning of psychosocial skills in protection of mental health. Assertiveness as a stress defence. Aggression and chicane as a social-pathological phenomenons which damage health. 11. Moving activity and her meaning for human psyche, her role in diseases prevention. Role of nutrition in diseases prevention. Role of active substances for physical and mental health. Food for relaxation. 12. Alpha brain activity, healthy sleep, self-regulation and relaxation techniques. Mental training. Work with subconsciousness for recovery and prevention of diseases. 13. Plan of prevention and strengthening of own health. Healthy lifestyle at the turn of millennium. Manager of own health. Healthy family, healthy school, healthy workplace.

Learning activities and teaching methods
One-to-One tutorial, Self-study of literature, Lecture
  • Preparation for comprehensive test (10-40) - 30 hours per semester
  • Contact hours - 26 hours per semester
prerequisite
Knowledge
Define individual mental phenomena.
Describe psychic personality structure.
Characterize the psychic properties of personality.
Describe the anatomy of the human body and explain the physiology of organisms at elementary level.
Skills
Identify psychological phenomena by group.
To distinguish the differences between the individual psychological characteristics of the personality.
Determine healthy and unhealthy lifestyles.
Competences
N/A
N/A
N/A
learning outcomes
Knowledge
Define health psychology as one of the important applied psychological disciplines.
Define the concept of health and healthy personality
Characterize a healthy lifestyle from the perspective of health psychology.
Characterize the core areas of psychology of health: stress, burnout syndrome, emotional injury, social support, mental hygiene.
Describe the patterns between psychic and functional concepts of individual organs.
To describe the dysfunction of the immune system from the perspective of health psychology.
Skills
Assess the importance of health psychology in relation to the studied field.
Suggest the possibilities of mental hygiene.
To evaluate individual approaches and methods in the field of health psychology.
Competences
N/A
N/A
N/A
teaching methods
Knowledge
Lecture
Self-study of literature
One-to-One tutorial
Skills
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
Students' portfolio
Competences
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
assessment methods
Knowledge
Test
Continuous assessment
Skills
Continuous assessment
Test
Competences
Continuous assessment
Recommended literature
  • Čeledová, Libuše; Čevela, Rostislav. Člověk ve zdraví i v nemoci podpora zdraví a prevence nemocí ve stáří. Vydání první. 2017. ISBN 978-80-246-3829-4.
  • Dosedlová, Jaroslava. Chování související se zdravím: determinanty, modely, konsekvence. Brno, 2016. ISBN 978-80-210-8458-2.
  • Dosedlová, Jaroslava. Optimismus a jeho role v kontextu zdraví. Brno, 2018. ISBN 978-80-210-8951-8.
  • Faleide Asbjorn,O., Lian Lilleba, B., Faleide Evolf, K. Vliv psychiky na zdraví ? soudobá psychosomatika. Praha, 2010. ISBN 978-80-247-2864-.
  • Jiřincová, Božena; Holeček, Václav; Miňhová, Jana. Vybrané kapitoly z psychologie zdraví. 1. vyd. Plzeň : Pedagogická fakulta Západočeské univerzity, 1996. ISBN 80-7082-308-9.
  • Kebza, Vladimír. Psychosociální determinanty zdraví. Vyd. 1. Praha : Academia, 2005. ISBN 80-200-1307-5.
  • KŘIVOHLAVÝ, J. Psychologie zdraví. Praha : Portál, 2003. ISBN 80-7178-774-4.
  • Paulík, Karel. Psychologie lidské odolnosti. Vyd. 1. Praha : Grada, 2010. ISBN 978-80-247-2959-6.
  • Slezáčková, Alena. Průvodce pozitivní psychologií : nové přístupy, aktuální poznatky, praktické aplikace. Vyd. 1. Praha : Grada, 2012. ISBN 978-80-247-3507-8.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester