SFOK17002U Psycho-social stressors, psycho-physiological stress responses and disease

Volume 2017/2018
Education

MSc in Public Health Science - elective course

Open for BSc in Public Health students who has passed the BSc course in epidemiology

 

 

Content

Aim and content of the course:

This interdisciplinary course integrates topics derived from occupational medicine, psycho-physiology, and public health.

The aim of the course is to provide the students with knowledge about the psycho-physiological responses (the autonomic nervous system, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, sleep), and theoretical models describing psychosocial stressors (e.g. effort-reward imbalance, job-demand-control) and stress reactions (e.g. cognitive activation theory of stress, effort-recovery). The course will also provide knowledge on the epidemiological evidence which links psychosocial stressors with disease. Furthermore, this course illuminates the broad set of applicable methods for measuring the physiological manifestations of stress.

The course includes structured lecturers and workshops. Throughout the course the students will work on a research protocol which will be included as part of the final assessment.

Learning Outcome

After the course the students are expected to:

Knowledge:

  1. Understand how psychosocial stressors can lead to disease through psycho-physiological mechanisms.

  2. Have obtained knowledge about theoretical models describing psychosocial stressors and stress reaction.

  3. Have obtained knowledge about the psycho-physiological stress responses.

  4. Be acquainted with selected methods used in research on the effect of psycho-physiological responses.

 

Skill:

  1. Apply knowledge about the characteristics of the psycho-physiological measures of stress (e.g. their diurnal variation).

  2. Be able to critically discuss strengths and limitations of studies investigating physiological measures of stress.

  3. Evaluate ethical implications of research within the area of psycho-physiology.

  4. Explain the psycho-physiological stress response, and how psycho-physiological mechanism link psychosocial stressors to disease.

 

Competences:

  1. Formulate a relevant research question within the area of the course.

  2. Search and select state-of-the-art literature on psycho-physiological mechanisms linking psychosocial stressors to disease for at study protocol.

  3. Use the provided knowledge and skills obtained through the course for the design of a research protocol investigating a research question within the area of the course.

  4. Assess strength and limitations of design and methods used in the research protocol.

E-compendium

Passed BSc in Public Health Science course in epidemiology SFOA09014U/SFOA09011E
Passed BSc course in epidemiology
The course will include (a) structured lectures to introduce and review the concepts and methods and (b) workshops where students will discuss relevant scientific papers or specific tasks.
This course is open for MSc students from MSc in Global Health, MSc in Health Science and MSc in Health Informatics without pre-approval.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 30
  • Exam
  • 16
  • Preparation
  • 229
  • Total
  • 275
Oral
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)

Throughout the course the students will work on a research protocol which will be included as part of the final assessment.

Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, 48 hours
48 hours written take-home assignment, based on the study protocol the students Work on during the course
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

Please see the exam plan

Re-exam

Please see the exam plan

Criteria for exam assesment

To achive the maximum grade of 12 the student must be able to:

Complete all questions correctly in the 48 hours assignment in the end of the course relaed to the obtained skills and competences:

Knowledge

  • Understand how psychosocial stressors can lead to disease through psycho-physiological mechanisms.
  • Have obtained knowledge about theoretical models describing psychosocial stressors and stress reaction.
  • Have obtained knowledge about the psycho-physiological stress responses.
  • Be acquainted with selected methods used in research on the effect of psycho-physiological responses.

 

Skills:

  • Apply knowledge about the characteristics of the psycho-physiological measures of stress (e.g. their diurnal variation).
  • Be able to critically discuss strengths and limitations of studies investigating physiological measures of stress.
  • Evaluate ethical implications of research within the area of psycho-physiology.
  • Explain the psycho-physiological stress response, and how psycho-physiological mechanism link psychosocial stressors to disease.

 

Kompetences:

  • Formulate a relevant research question within the area of the course.
  • Search and select state-of-the-art literature on psycho-physiological mechanisms linking psychosocial stressors to disease for at study protocol.
  • Use the provided knowledge and skills obtained through the course for the design of a research protocol investigating a research question within the area of the course.
  • Assess strength and limitations of design and methods used in the research protocol.