Health Psychology Careers

Richard HammersleyChartered Health Psychologist

Careers as a Health Psychologist

Chartered Psychologist who researches, teaches, advises and intervenes regarding psychological aspects of healthPsychological effects of illness and diseasePsychological factors in recoveryHealth compromising behavioursHealth care professional – patient interactionsRisk assessment and decision making about healthHealth, well-being and quality of life in the lifespan

Regulated by the British Psychology Society and the Health and Care Professions Council =>Licensed to call themselves a psychologist and do psychological interventions

Code of conduct and ethics

What is a health psychologist?

Try the 3rd year module “Psychology and Health”Get a 2(1) degree Stage 1 training: an MSc degreeStage 2 training: Doctorate either “on the job” or as a taught doctorate programme.

Achieve competencies of a Health PsychologistProfessional practice, including ethicsBehaviour changeResearchConsultancyTeaching

How do I become one?

3rd year moduleAccredited MSc Health Psychology

1. Health behaviours2. Professional practice and communication

skills3. Design and statistics4. Theories of health5. Contexts of health6. Health psychology in practice, which

involves a placement7. Empirical dissertation supervised by

academic staff

What is offered at Hull?

Conduct health-relevant researchDesign and implement interventions to change health behaviours

Assess and work with individual patients

Advise other health care professionals about psychological issues

Teach about health psychologyPromote health psychology to policy-makers and the media

What do Health Psychologists do?

Considerable overlap: Many older health psychologists began as clinical psychologists

Compared to Clinical Psychology Health Psychology:Less focus on working with individual clientsLess work in specialised clinicsLess emphasis on assessment, formulation and diagnosis

Fewer jobs advertised for “Chartered Health Psychologist”

Wider range of jobs requiring these skillsMore multi-disciplinary workingMore diverse workBetter balance between research and practice

Health Psychology and Clinical Psychology

University Psychology DepartmentsUniversity Health-related DepartmentsSpecialist clinics

E.g. pain; surgery; diabetes and metabolic disorders; weight management; substance use

Primary care Public healthCharities and non-statutory sector

Where do they work?

Prof Richard HammersleyAlcohol and drugs/ Eating behaviour/ Service evaluation/ Assessment of everyday mood

Prof Marie Reid (Chartered Clinical & Health)Eating behaviour/ Service evaluation/ Health needs of people with intellectual disabilities

Dr Yong Peng WhyStress/ Cardiovascular function/ Personality and individual differences in health

Dr Sam Nabb (Sports Science)Cardiac rehabilitation/ Psychological effects of exercise/ Eating behaviour

Chartered Health Psychologists at Hull

Tobacco, nicotine and smokingNon compliance with medicines and medical advice

Psychological factors in surgery and medicine: Assessment, preparation and recovery

Providing health information appropriately

Communicating effectively about healthCognitive processes underlying risk and decision-making [e.g. Theory of Planned Behaviour]

Attentional biases and health conditions

Some other common topics

Health Psychology in action: The hand transplantPsychological RisksAnxiety and preoccupation about health, Disappointment, depression, agitation, discomfort and disorientation, guilt, negative reactions from others, stress of media attention http://www.handtransplantuk.com/index.php/information-for-patients/the-risks?showall=&start=7