2008
MSc in Health Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway The MSc in Health Psychology is a one-year full-time programme of academic study in the discipline of health psychology. Health psychology is concerned with the application of psychological theory, research, and practice to the promotion and maintenance of health; identification and amelioration of psychological factors contributing to physical illness; improvement of the health care system; and formulation of health policy. Health psychologists work in diverse settings, including hospitals and community health services, health authorities, health research units, and university teaching and research facilities. They frequently work alongside health service managers and other health care professions (e.g., general practitioners, specialist medical consultants, nurses, and rehabilitation therapists). Health psychology graduates also use their skills in health service evaluation and in putting research evidence into practice. In addition to helping to prepare for employment in which a background in psychology is an advantage, the MSc in Health Psychology also provides an excellent foundation for further postgraduate study (e.g., clinical, educational, counselling, and organisational psychology) and postgraduate research (e.g., PhD in health psychology).
Entry Requirements The programme is intended for graduates with at least a second class honours primary degree in psychology.
Number of Places It is anticipated that 15 students will be admitted onto the programme each year.
Availability There will be an intake to the programme every Autumn.
Programme Duration The programme is taken on a full-time basis for 12 months.
Programme Content The programme includes lectures, seminars and workshops on the biopsychosocial foundations of health and illness; models of health-related behaviour and illness cognition; health psychology in applied settings; psychosomatic influences on health; current issues such as stress and stress management, chronic illness, and sexuality and health; and research methods in health psychology. Assessment includes essays and other forms of continuous assessment, examination, and a minor dissertation (see over for more information).
Method of Application Applications are made online via the Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC) found at www.pac.ie/nuig The online form is easy to use and you will be guided through the system step-by-step. You will require an active e-mail account to use the system. Choose the appropriate PAC programme code (GYA70) from the summary of programmes and codes listed at the site. Programme information is also available at www.go4th.ie/msc_health_psy.html Closing date for application is 30 May, 2008. For further information, please contact: Dr Brian Hughes, Director, MSc in Health Psychology, School of Psychology, NUI Galway, Ireland Telephone: + 353 (0)91 49 3101 Email:
[email protected] Web address: www.nuigalway.ie/psy 1
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MSc in Health Psychology: Further Information Course content, by Semester Semester 1 (September–December) Foundations of Health Psychology Psychosomatic Influences on Health Models of Health-related Behaviour and Cognition Research Methods in Psychology
Semester 2 (January–April) Health Psychology in Applied Settings Current Issues in Health Psychology Research Seminar
Semesters 1 and 2, and Summer Term (May–August) Minor Dissertation Over the course of the programme, a number of additional academic development activities will be organized, including seminar/workshop contributions by visiting academics and an internal seminar series. Students will also be supported in attending relevant conferences, including that of the Division of Health Psychology of the Psychological Society of Ireland. Research in Health Psychology at NUI Galway The National University of Ireland, Galway has been at the forefront of health psychology in Ireland for several years, with members of the School of Psychology active internationally in research and scholarship. The scope of research conducted covers all areas of health psychology (including health cognition, health behaviour, interventions, health education, pain management, rehabilitation, psychosomatic pathways, and healthcare practice) and has drawn on a wide range of methodologies (including quantitative and qualitative methods, and laboratory and field studies). Health psychology research from NUI Galway has been extensively published, with the following representing a sample of recent internationally published output (2005+): Butler, M.M., Treacy, M.P., Scott, P.A., Hyde, A., MacNeela, P., Irving, K., Byrne, A., Drennan, J., & Morris, R. (2006). Towards a nursing minimum dataset for Ireland: making Irish nursing visible. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 55, 3, 364- 375. Byrne, M., Cupples, M.E., Smith, S.M., Leathem, C. Corrigan, M., Byrne, M.C., Murphy, A.W. (2006) Development of a Complex Intervention for Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in Primary Care Using the Medical Research Council Framework. American Journal of Managed Care. 12(5): 261-266. Byrne, M., Murphy A.W., Walsh J.C. & Kelleher, C.C. (2006). A cross sectional study of the secondary prevention of heart disease in general practice: Impact of personal and practice characteristics. Family Practice, 23(3),295-302. Byrne, M., Murphy, A.W. & Walsh, J. (2005) Secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: Patients’ beliefs and health related behaviour. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 58: 403-415. Byrne, M., Murphy, A.W., Walsh, J.C., Shryane, E., McGroarty, E., Kelleher, C. (2006) A cross-sectional study of secondary cardiac care in general practice: impact of personal and practice characteristics. Family Practice. 23: 295-302. Corrigan M., Cupples, M.E., Smith, S.M., Byrne, M., Leathem, C.S., Clerkin P. & Murphy, A.W. (2006) The contribution of qualitative research in designing a complex intervention for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in two different healthcare systems. BMC Health Services Research, 6:90. Curtis, R., Groarke, A., Coughlan, R. & Gsel, A. (2005). Psychological stress as a predictor of health status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patient Education and Counselling, 59, 186-192. Ford, G., Moriarty, O., McGuire, B.E., & Finn, D.P. (2008). Investigating the effects of distracting stimuli on nociceptive behaviour and associated alterations in brain monoamines in rats. European Journal of Pain. (In press). Gregg, M. E., Matyas, T. A., & James, J. E. (2006). Association between hemodynamic profile during laboratory stress and ambulatory pulse pressure. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28, in press.
Groarke, A., Curtis, R., Coughlan, R. & Gsel, A. (2005).The impact of illness representations and disease activity on adjustment in women with rheumatoid arthritis: A longitudinal study. Psychology and Health, 20, 597-613. Henry, P., Mac Neela, P., Clinton, G., Scott, A., Treacy, P., Butler, M. et al. (2006). Developing a data dictionary for the Irish Nursing Minimum Data Set. Studies in Health Technology & Informatics, 122, 510-513. Howard, S., & Hughes, B. M. (in press). Expectancies, not aroma, explain impact of lavender aromatherapy on psychophysiological indices of relaxation in young healthy women. British Journal of Health Psychology. Hughes, B. M. (2006). Regional patterns of religious affiliation and availability of complementary and alternative medicine. Journal of Religion and Health, 45, 549-557. Hughes, B. M. (2006). Workaholism, the work environment, and occupational stress: A biopsychosocial perspective. In P. Buchwald (Ed.), Stress and anxiety: Application to health, work place, community, and education (pp. 196-211). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press. Hughes, B. M. (2007). Individual differences in hostility and habituation of cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Stress and Health, 23, 37-42. Hughes, B. M. (2007). Self-esteem, performance feedback, and cardiovascular stress reactivity. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 20, 239252. Hughes, B. M. (2007). Social support in ordinary life and laboratory measures of cardiovascular reactivity: Gender differences in habituation-sensitization. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 34, 166-176. Hughes, B. M. (2008). How should clinical psychologists approach complementary and alternative medicine? Empirical, epistemological, and ethical considerations. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 657-675. Hughes, B. M., & Black, A. (2006). Body-esteem as a moderator of cardiovascular stress responses in anatomy students viewing cadaver dissections. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 61, 501-506. 2
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Hughes, B. M., & Callinan, S. (2007). Trait dominance and cardiovascular reactivity to social and non-social stressors: Gender-specific implications. Psychology and Health, 22, 457-472. Hyde, A., Scott, P.A., Treacy, M.P., MacNeela, P., Irving, K., Hanrahan, M., & Butler, M. (2006). Social regulation, medicalisation and the nurse’s role: insights from an analysis of nursing documentation. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 43, 6, 735-744. Hyde, A., Treacy, M.P., Scott, P.A., Butler, M., Drennan, J., Byrne, A., Mac Neela, P., & Hanrahan, M. (2005). Modes of rationality in nursing documentation: Biology, biography and marginal ’voice of nursing’. Nursing Inquiry, 12, 66-77. Irving, K., Treacy, M.M., Scott, P.A., Hyde, A., MacNeela, P., Butler, M., Drennan, J., & Byrne, A. (2006). Discursive practices in the documentation of patient assessments. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53, 151-159. James, J. E. & Keane, M. A. (2007). Caffeine, sleep and wakefulness: Implications of new understanding about withdrawal reversal. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, 22. James, J. E. (2006). Blood pressure effects and dietary caffeine are a risk for cardiovascular disease. In B. D. Smith (Ed.), Caffeine consumption: Effects on health and behavior, Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis, in press. James, J. E. (2006). Health, commerce, and the Future of Health Psychology. (Position Paper) The European Health Psychologist, March, 5-8. James, J. E., & Rogers, P. J. (2005). Effects of caffeine on performance and mood: Withdrawal reversal is the most plausible explanation. Psychopharmacology, 182, 1-8. James, J. E., Gregg, M. E., Kane, M., & Harte, F. (2005). Dietary caffeine, performance and mood: Enhancing and restorative effects after controlling for withdrawal relief. Neuropsychobiology, 52, 1-10 Johnston, C.A.B., & Morrison, T.G. (2007). The presentation of masculinity in everyday life: Contextual variations in the masculine behavior of young Irish men. Sex Roles, 57, 661-674. Johnstone, B., Walsh, J.C. Carton, S. & Fish, R. (2007). Rehabilitation Psychology: Meeting the needs of individuals with acquired disabilities in Ireland. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1-7. Kaptein, A. A., Hughes, B. M., Scharloo, M., Fischer, M. J., Snoie, L., Weinman, J., Creer, T. L., & Rabe, K. F. (in press). Illness perceptions about asthma are determinants of outcome. Journal of Asthma. Keane, M.A., James, J.E., & Hogan, M.J. (2008). Effects of Dietary Caffeine on Topographic EEG after Controlling for Withdrawal and Withdrawal Reversal. Neuropsychobiology, 56, 197-207. Lavin, D. & Groarke, A. (2005). Dental floss behaviour: A test of the predictive utility of the theory of planned behaviour and the effects of implementation intentions. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 10, 243252. Lavin, K.E., McGuire, B.E. & Hogan, M.J. (2006). Age at death of people with an intellectual disability in Ireland. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 10, 155-164. Mac Neela, P., Scott, A., Treacy, M.P., & Hyde, A. (2005). Talking psychologically: Mental health nurses’ use of psychology in describing problems, interventions and outcomes. In N. Oud (ed.), Enhancing patient care through nursing documentation: New directions for novices and experts (pp. 184-189). Bern: Verlag Hans Huber. Mac Neela, P., Scott, P.A., Treacy, P., & Hyde, A. (2006). Nursing Minimum Data Sets: A conceptual analysis and review. Nursing Inquiry, 13, 44-51. MacNeela, P., Scott, P.A., Treacy, M.P., & Hyde, A. (2007). Lost in translation or the true text: Mental health representations of psychology. Qualitative Health Research, 17, 4, 501-509. Mc Loughlin, M., Armstrong, P., Byrne, M., Heaney, D., O’Brien, N., Murphy, A.W.(2005) A comparative study on attitudes, mental health and job stress amongst general practitioners participating, or
not, in a rural out of hours co-operative. Family Practice 22(3): 275279. McDonagh, L., Morrison, T. & McGuire, B.E. (2008). Development of a new measure of body image self-consciousness in men. Journal of Men’s Studies. (In press). McDonagh, L., Morrison, T.G., & McGuire, B. (in press). The naked truth: Development of a scale designed to assess male body image self-consciousness during physical intimacy. Journal of Men's Studies. McGuire, B.E., Daly, P. & Smyth, F. (2007). Lifestyle and health behaviours of adults with an intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, 497-510. McGuire, B.E., Hogan, M.J., & Morrison, T.G. (2008). Dimensionality and reliability assessment of the Pain Patient Profile questionnaire. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 24, 22-26 McMullen, J., Barnes-Holmes, D., Barnes-Holmes Y., Stewart, I., Luciano, C. & Cochrane, A. (2008). Acceptance versus distraction: Brief instructions, metaphors, and exercises in increasing tolerance for self-delivered electric shocks. Behavior Research and Therapy, 46(1), 122-129. Morris, R., MacNeela, P., Scott, P.A., Treacy, M.P., & Hyde, A. (2007). Reconsidering the conceptualization of nursing workload: literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57, 463-471. Morrison, T.G., Morrison, M.A., & Bradley, B.A. (2007). Correlates of gay men's self-reported exposure to pornography. International Journal of Sexual Health, 19(2), 33-43. Murphy, A.W., Cupples, M.E., Smith, S., Byrne, M., Leathem, C., Byrne, M,C. (2005) The SPHERE Study. Secondary prevention of heart disease in general practice: protocol of a randomised controlled trial of tailored practice and patient care plans with parallel qualitative, economic and policy analyses. [ISRCTN24081411]. Current Controlled Trials in Cardiovascular Medicine. Jul 29;6(1):11. O’Donovan, A., & Hughes, B. M. (2007). Social support and loneliness in college students: Effects on pulse pressure reactivity to acute stress. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 19, 523-538. O'Donovan, A., & Hughes, B. M. (2008). Factors that moderate the effects of social support on cardiovascular reactivity to stress. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 8, 85-102. O'Donovan, A., & Hughes, B. M. (in press). Access to social support in life and in the laboratory: Combined impact on cardiovascular reactivity to stress and state anxiety. Journal of Health Psychology. Ononese, V., Murphy, A.W., Byrne, M., Bradley, C., MacFarlane, A. (2006). Patients and health professionals’ perspectives on the sociocultural influences on secondary cardiac behaviour: a qualitative study of the implications in policy and practice. Family Practice, 23(5), 587-96. Ottaviani, C., Shapiro, D., Goldstein, I. B., James, J. E., & Weiss, R. (2006). Hemodynamic profile, compensation deficit, and ambulatory blood pressure. Psychophysiology, 43, 46-56. Sarma, K. (2007, in press). Drug use among LGBT young adults: Results of an exploratory study. In Susan McIlwee (ed.)., Thru a Snowflake Storm: Essays on addiction. Smith, S.M., Allwright, S., Byrne, M., Brazier, H., O’Dowd, T. & Murphy, A.W. (2005) International variations in the generation of the evidence base for primary care. European Journal of General Practice. 11: 33 - 34. Walsh, J.C. (2006). The impact of knowledge, perceived barriers and perceptions of risk on attendance for a routine cervical smear. European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 11(4), 291-296. Williams, L., O’Connor, R. C., Howard, S., Hughes, B. M., Johnston, D. W., Hay, J. L. et al. (2008). Type D personality mechanism of effect: The role of health-related behaviour and social support. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64, 63-69.
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