Chronic Illness
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| REHB4007 | Rehabilitation and Ageing | 4 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- REHB4007
- School
- Rehabilitation and Ageing
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
Mechanisms of health and disease: biopsychosocial perspectives including basic features of the nervous system, the stress response, the role of meaning in pain, gate-control and neuromatrix theory of pain. Psychoneuroimmunology including: the immune system, stress and the immune system (eg infectious illness, wound healing, recovery from surgery). The relationship between stress and health, including: early definitions and approaches to stress, contemporary physiological and psychological approaches to stress; the stress response. Illness perception and interpretation including symptom perception and interpretation, screening for evidence of risk and/or disease, common sense model of self-regulation, measuring and changing illness representations. Coping and social support including: definitions of coping and measurement; personality, coping dispositions and situational coping; positive approaches to coping; types of social support health impact; social support in cyberspace. Psychosocial interventions in the context of chronic illness including cognitive behavioural therapy; acceptance and commitment therapy.
Target Students
School of Medicine; Academic Unit 4 Population and Lifespan Sciences
Classes
- One 7-hour lecture each week for 5 weeks
Contact time: 36 hoursself-managed learning groups: 10 hoursPersonal study: 72 hours
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: Portfolio
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to provide students with knowledge of contemporary issues in the area of chronic illness and an understanding of key psychological influences on health and illness.Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, students should be able to:
Knowledge and understanding:
• Critically appraise and synthesize evidence relating to the epidemiology of health and illness, including long-term conditions and/or stress and/or psychoneuroimmunology
• Identify, describe and critically discuss a range of psychosocial mediators and moderators in the context of Stress and/or pain and/or chronic illness.
• Describe and critically appraise a range of psychosocial interventions designed to support individuals living with chronic illness
• Critically discuss, using relevant examples, the evidence examining the role of bio-psychological factors in disease processes.
• Critically evaluate the role of bio-psychological factors in the aetiology, treatment/management and rehabilitation of chronic illness.
Intellectual Skills:
Problem-solving, analysis & synthesis, critical evaluation, and independent learning
Professional practical skills
Written communication, time management.
Transferable Skills:
Communicate effectively in writing, problem solve, retrieve information from databases and the Internet.