Psychology of Health and Chronic Illness

• • Critical time points within illness
  • Chronic diseases 1
  • Chronic diseases 2
  • Patient needs & psychosocial adjustment to illness
  • Quality of Life: Conceptual & Measurement Issues
  • Communication with children whose parent has a chronic illness
  • Coping with Illness: couples adjustment and interventions
  • Patients with culturally/linguistically diverse (CALD) Background
  • Chronic illness & the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  • Psycho‐sexual adjustment & Interventions
  • Coping with dying, death and bereavement
  • Survivorship

Equivalent subjects

You cannot enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

• CUR-PSB600C-Psychology of Health and Chronic Illness

Special requirements

No special requirements

In this subject, students will consider the impact of acute and chronic illness states (including physical and mental illness) on the patient and their family. Aspects of quality of life affected will be considered, including sexuality, body image, fatigue, existential crisis, social and intimate relationships, physical reactions and spirituality. The impact of formal and informal systems of social support on illness and outcomes will be explored. The subject will incorporate evaluation of research methods used in such studies together with the application of health psychology theory and a critical examination of research findings. Relationships between health cognition, health behaviour and psychological adjustment will be an important theme, as will be a consideration of interventions to improve patient well being. Broad social, cultural, and political aspects of disability and acute and chronic disease will also be examined. The impact on and needs of carers and family members will also be considered in this subject of study.

Please Note:  If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.

Find out more about the Academic Integrity module.

• Case Study (50%)
• Invigilated Examination (50%)