Health Psychology for Clinicians PG (6308.7)

Please note these are the 2022 details for this unit
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Health Psychology for Clinicians PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Psychology Post Graduate Level Band 1 2021 (Pg Clinical Psychology)
Band 2 2021 (Prof Pathway Psychology-After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 2 2021 (Prof Pathway Psychology-Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 2 2021 (Standard Course Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
Band 4 2021 (Standard Course Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
This unit introduces students to key skills, theories, and practice issues in health psychology. Specific health problems are conceptualised from a biopsychosocial perspective. Emphasis is given to working with those who are currently ill and those who are not engaging in health protective behaviours. Pharmacological interventions currently used in Australia are introduced, and cultural factors and interprofessional practice in this setting are also considered.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the areas of health in which psychological practitioners work, including behavioural medicine, rehabilitation, and health promotion;
2. Critically evaluate the interaction of biopsychosocial and cultural factors in the aetiology, progression, and recovery of health problems, including among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities;
3. Apply knowledge of and practice in the use of relevant psychological assessment and intervention approaches in both acute and chronic conditions; and
4. Apply knowledge of psychopharmacology, clinical, and interdisciplinary implications regarding the use of psychotropic medications.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - use Indigenous histories and traditional ecological knowledge to develop and augment understanding of their discipline


Prerequisites

11820 Adult Psychopathology, Assessment, and Treatment PG

Corequisites

Must be enrolled in 742AA Master of Clinical Psychology OR 958AA Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

11820 Adult Psychopathology, Assessment, and Treatment PG
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Dr Douglas Boer
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 On-campus Dr Douglas Boer
Not available

Required texts

A number of readings related to topics in the unit are available through Canvas in the Reading List.  Students are required to read these before the workshops in order to gain initial insight into the topics reviewed and optimise learning in formal teaching. 

Additional resources are listed below:

There is no set textbook for this unit. Readings will be supplied by the workshop leaders.

Australian Psychological Society (2007). Code of ethics. Melbourne. [Available online at http://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/Code_Ethics_2007.pdf] Copies are also available from the library.

American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5TR ed. Arlington, VA: Author. 

 

 

Submission of assessment items

Special assessment requirements

None

Supplementary assessment

Not offered.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

It is expected that all students will attend all workshops. Students should familiarise themselves with attendance rules in the Master of Clinical Psychology Program.  If you cannot attend a workshop, you are encouraged to discuss this absence with your unit convener in advance.  Students must provide documentation for any absences, and if accepted by the unit convenor, provide a 1000 word summary on the topic/s missed (due by end of semester) in order to demonstrate competency.   Students cannot miss more than one full day (or two three-hour workshops) in a unit or they will fail the unit. Material will not be repeated outside workshop time for those who miss a workshop with an approved absence. Delivery of material discussed in workshops will be assumed to be known by all, even those who do not attend. Please note that you may fail the unit if you miss any workshops without documentation given the unit is competency based, and students cannot miss mandatory workshops (outlined below). Students are also expected to attend workshops on time and work effectively with others.
 
Mandatory Workshops
Please note that the full day  Introduction to Motivational Interviewing workshop in this unit requires mandatory attendance.  Students cannot miss mandatory workshops, and if they are absent for these workshops they will receive a fail grade for the unit or should consider a late withdrawal if there are extenuating circumstances.  If a student has appropriate documentation supporting an absence under exceptional circumstances on the day of a mandatory workshop, students may be given the option to attend the workshop when it is next delivered in the course (and receive a WHE grade until such time if approved by the ADE and meeting all other pass requirements for the unit) or complete an equivalent workshop approved by the unit convenor at the student's own expense (please note documentation will be required as proof of  completion).  Students should also note that absences may impact course progression.

Required IT skills

No special IT skills are required for this unit, although it is expected that all students will have basic word-processing skills. If you are unfamiliar with searching specialist databases for accessing Psychology journals, please see the UC library site for details of training sessions:

http://www.canberra.edu.au/library/research-gateway/research-skills-training

In-unit costs

There are no set costs for this unit.

Work placement, internships or practicums

Not applicable

Additional information

Moderation Processes
In accordance with University policy (3.15 in Assessment Procedures), moderation is required to ensure consistency in standards of marking in a unit.  The Master of Clinical Psychology program and units undertake moderation in a number of domains, specifically through review of unit outlines and unit content, assessment item details and marking guides, and in marking assignments.  All assessment pieces or marks resulting in a fail grade will be moderated by another member of the clinical team, as well as a random selection of assignments covering a range of participants in the unit. This process ensures that marking across the program is consistent.  All units are subjected to moderation at the Discipline level at the conclusion of each teaching period.