Master's Degree in General Health Psychology

Field(s) of education and training (ISCED-F)

• Health, not elsewhere classified (0919)

Main focus

; – Acquire the knowledge necessary to carry out research, assessments and psychological interventions on aspects of a person’s behaviour and activity in order to promote and improve their state of health, provided that such activities do not require specialised attention from other health professionals. – Acquire, develop and put into practice a comprehensive health approach, including its biopsychosocial components, in accordance with the WHO guidelines.; – Apply the basic principles of bioethics and the method of deliberation in professional practice, in accordance with the provisions of Law 44/2003, of 21 November, that establishes the organisation of health professions. – Demonstrate interpersonal communication and emotion management skills for appropriate interactions with patients, families and caregivers during the process of identifying the problem, assessment, communicating the diagnosis, and psychological monitoring and intervention. – Critically analyse and use clinical information sources. – Use information and communication technologies in professional practices. – Write appropriate psychological reports to the addressees. -Formulate working hypotheses in research, collecting and critically assessing information for problem solving by using the scientific method. – Become familiar with the scope of action of the general health psychologist and be able to refer a patient to the pertinent specialised professional.; – Develop their work from the perspective of quality and constant improvement, with the self-critical capacity required for a responsible professional performance. – Communicate and interact with other professionals, and master the required skills for teamwork and multidisciplinary work groups. – Be aware of the obligations and responsibilities of healthcare service staff regarding the confidentiality of information and the protection of patients’ personal data. – Acquire in-depth knowledge of the psychological nature of human behaviour, as well as the social and biological factors that may affect it. – Understand the psychological nature of human behaviour disorders in depth. – Acquire in-depth knowledge of the psychosocial factors associated with health problems and diseases. – Acquire in-depth knowledge of the biological and psychosocial factors associated with health problems and diseases, especially those related to mental health. – Understand the different models of assessment and intervention in the field of general health psychology, as well as the techniques and procedures derived from them, to tackle behavioural disorders and the psychological factors associated with health problems. – Plan, carry out and, where appropriate, supervise the process of psychological assessment of human behaviour and of the psychological factors associated with health problems. – Design, develop and, where appropriate, supervise and evaluate psychological intervention plans and programmes, based on psychological assessment and on individual and social variables concurrent in each case. – Be familiar with the activities necessary for the constitution, setting up and management of a company, including its legal structure as well as the associated legal, accounting and tax obligations. – Be familiar with the current regulations in the Spanish health sector. – Carry out promotion and education activities for individual and community-based mental health.

Competences

Students that have completed the second cycle have the following competencies: – Have demonstrated knowledge and understanding that is founded upon a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and/or applying ideas, often within a research context. – Can apply their acquired knowledge and understanding, and problem solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study. – Have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, and formulate judgments with incomplete or limited information, but that include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments. – Can communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously. – Have the learning skills to allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous.

Name of title awarded in original language

Máster Universitario en Psicología General Sanitaria

Qualification requirements

90 minimum credits

Access to a regulated profession

Professional Status Health Psychologist

Specialisation name

– No Specialisation

Admission information

Specific admission requirements

Ministerial Order ECD/1070/2013, dated 12 June (Spanish Government Gazette, BOE of 14 June 2013) sets out the specific access criteria for the Master’s Degrees in General Health Psychology necessary for admission to the regulated and formally recognised profession of General Health Psychologist. The Order stipulates that access to the Master’s degree will be conditional upon the possession of a degree of Licenciado or Graduado (Bachelor’s degree) in Psychology, together, where appropriate, with the successful completion of complementary training to ensure the candidate has achieved at least 90 ECTS credits in specifically health-related topics. Prior to entering the Master’s degree programme, candidates will be required to provide documentary evidence of having achieved these 90 credits in the form of official academic certification specifying the courses or subjects covered, with their respective credits. These courses and subjects must pertain to the areas of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology. In this regard, those courses with a specific focus on health will be considered to be those covering health-related spheres of knowledge and those belonging to the areas of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, provided these are aimed “specifically and fundamentally at providing students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required in the healthcare environment.