SFOK17002U Psycho-social stressors, psycho-physiological stress responses and disease
MSc in Public Health Science - elective course
Open for BSc in Public Health students who has passed the BSc course in epidemiology
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.
After the course the students are expected to:
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.
Skill:
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.
Competences:
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.
E-compendium
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 30
- Exam
- 16
- Preparation
- 229
- Total
- 275
Throughout the course the students will work on a research protocol which will be included as part of the final assessment.
Open for credit transfer students and other external students.
Apply here:
Credit transfer students:
http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/other-programme-options/credit-transfer-students/
Other external students:
http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/exchange_guest_students/guest-students/
A limited number of slots are available for credit transfer students and other external students.
- Credit
- 10 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment, 48 hours48 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
- Re-exam
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.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- SFOK17002U
- Credit
- 10 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- Please see the Schedule in Syllabus
- Course capacity
- 40 students
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- The Study Board for Public Health Science and Global Health
Contracting department
- Department of Public Health
Course Coordinators
- Åse Marie Hansen (15-6577697165766d69326c65727769724477797268326f7932686f)
- Kirsten Nabe-Nielsen (4-776a6b6e497c7e776d37747e376d74)