PSYC 278 — Psychology of Wellness
How do thoughts and behaviors relate to your state of wellness? This course will provide a general survey of the ways in which theory and empirical research in psychology explain processes relevant to wellness and illness, interconnections between the mind and body, and dynamics in the medical context. Constructs from a variety of research areas within psychology will be applied to topics such as the biopsychosocial model, coping with stress, managing serious and chronic disease, palliative care, death and dying, physician-patient communication, making medical decisions, adherence to treatment regimens, and technology and the health care system. Students will be taught to critically evaluate medical research from a psychological perspective and to analyze representations of medical findings in publications and the popular media.