APSK05115U Elective course - Psychosocial Job Stress and Chronic Disease

Volume 2015/2016
Content

Can social conditions at work cause disease? What are the mechanisms? How do we assess and quantify social conditions and their effects? How do adverse psychosocial conditions affect the employees? These and other questions are the topics for the course. The course is inter_disciplinary, and will introduce commonly used models of work-related stress, as well as broadly applicable methods for measuring the physiological effects of stress on the body. These methods are useful in understanding the effects of job stress and social stressors on health and wellbeing, with applications for cardiovascular disease (CVD), depression, metabolic illness, musculoskeletal pain, and asthma. The course includes both structured lectures that introduce and review various concepts and methods, and workshops where students are encouraged to engage with fellow students and researchers from the National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NRCWE). These workshops will cover topics such as job stress measurement, cardiovascular monitoring of stress response, and linkages between job stress biomarkers and chronic diseases.

Information on lecturers can be found under academic staff.

Learning Outcome

The purpose of these modules is to expand knowledge or put the psychological subject area into perspective through theoretical or empirical specialisation within subject areas within or related to psychology.

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

  • describe and account for relevant concepts and themes within the elective subject
  • describe and account for relevant methodological approaches in relation to the subject matter for the elective subject
  • explain contexts, analyse and conduct procedures relevant to the elective subject under supervision
  • discuss themes/problems relevant to the elective subject or interpret cases/data related to the elective subject.

Syllabus

  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Total
  • 28
Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, one week
Course participation
RULES FOR GROUP EXAMS: The final assignment can be written in a group (max. three people) unless otherwise stated in the teaching programme.
EXTENT: Elective subjects prescribed to 5 ECTS credits usually conclude with an assignment of max. 8 pages for one student, 12 pages for two students and 14 pages for three students. Any deviation from this will be made clear in the teaching programme.
Exam registration requirements

For all elective subjects, the attendance requirement is 75%. However, active participation presupposes full attendance. In addition to standard expectations of preparation and participation, prerequisites may include regular assignment writing, preparation of presentations, participation in midterm seminars or other assignments. Where this is the case, it will be made clear in the teaching programme.
 

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

See eksamensplan.

Criteria for exam assesment

Vejledende karakterbeskrivelse (Danish)

International students: If you require a grade, please inform the exam administration prior to the exam periods by sending an email with your student ID and the course name toeksamen@psy.ku.dk .