Sharing Psychology in Public Health
Sharing Psychology in Public Health
Brenda M. DeVellis, PhD
Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education
Research Professor of Psychology
Robert F. DeVellis, PhD
Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education
Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Brenda M. DeVellis, PhD
Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education
Research Professor of Psychology
Robert F. DeVellis, PhD
Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education
Adjunct Professor of Psychology
The Learners The Learners
All graduate students:
We enroll 35 students/year to our 2 year MPH program and 8-10 doctoral students per year
Entering doctoral students must have prior a master’s degree in a related field
The Learners (contd.)The Learners (contd.)
Goal of MPH program – to prepare analytic practitioners for positions in health education planning, management, and evaluation.
A national and international reputation for articulating and promoting community based participatory research in public health.
Goal of MPH program – to prepare analytic practitioners for positions in health education planning, management, and evaluation.
A national and international reputation for articulating and promoting community based participatory research in public health.
Disciplinary Composition of the Department
Disciplinary Composition of the Department
• 7 of 20 faculty are psychologists
• 2 are sociologists
• Remainder trained in health behavior & health education
• Since 1970, Department Chairs have been psychologists or sociologists
• 7 of 20 faculty are psychologists
• 2 are sociologists
• Remainder trained in health behavior & health education
• Since 1970, Department Chairs have been psychologists or sociologists
Three Conceptual DomainsThree Conceptual Domains
• Health Communication: e.g.,web-based interventions, risk communication
• Interpersonal and social processes in health and illness: e.g., social support, peer and family influences
• Community Engagement: how communities and organizations bring about social, structural, and policy changes
• Health Communication: e.g.,web-based interventions, risk communication
• Interpersonal and social processes in health and illness: e.g., social support, peer and family influences
• Community Engagement: how communities and organizations bring about social, structural, and policy changes
Role of Psychology in Curriculum
Role of Psychology in Curriculum
• Psychology is a core discipline for health behavior
• Understanding and influencing health behavior
• Psychology is a core discipline for health behavior
• Understanding and influencing health behavior
Is Psychology Required?Is Psychology Required?
• First semester 4-credit required course in Social and Behavioral Foundations of HBHE with 60% of content psychology
• Both MPH and PhD students have a social and behavioral science comp question focused on applying theory and/or conceptual models to a public health problem
• First semester 4-credit required course in Social and Behavioral Foundations of HBHE with 60% of content psychology
• Both MPH and PhD students have a social and behavioral science comp question focused on applying theory and/or conceptual models to a public health problem
Examples of Psychological Content in Curriculum
Examples of Psychological Content in Curriculum
• In required course:Social Learning Theory,Theory of Planned Behavior,Social Cognition, Social Support
• In elective course: emotions, coping and health, self-esteem, stereotyping, altruism and civility,health professional-patient interaction
• In required course:Social Learning Theory,Theory of Planned Behavior,Social Cognition, Social Support
• In elective course: emotions, coping and health, self-esteem, stereotyping, altruism and civility,health professional-patient interaction
Role/RationaleRole/Rationale
• PhD students must take 10 credits of advanced social/behavioral sciences from:– anthropology – sociology – psychology or – departmental courses in Health Disparities
and Advanced Psychological Theory.
• I teach the latter
• PhD students must take 10 credits of advanced social/behavioral sciences from:– anthropology – sociology – psychology or – departmental courses in Health Disparities
and Advanced Psychological Theory.
• I teach the latter
Challenges in Teaching Psychology
Challenges in Teaching Psychology
• Highly variable prior preparation• Hostility toward research and theory• Lumping the world by disease categories
rather than concepts• Demonstrating relevance• Huge scope of problems individual
students want to address – multiple levels
• Highly variable prior preparation• Hostility toward research and theory• Lumping the world by disease categories
rather than concepts• Demonstrating relevance• Huge scope of problems individual
students want to address – multiple levels
Interdisciplinary CollaborationInterdisciplinary Collaboration
• Hallmark of public health
• Within public health disciplines
• With medicine
• With social sciences
• Centers
• Joint appointments
• Hallmark of public health
• Within public health disciplines
• With medicine
• With social sciences
• Centers
• Joint appointments
Opportunities and BarriersOpportunities and Barriers
• Extensive opportunities and few barriers
• School of Public Health Dean trained in health behavior and a champion of behavioral principles and theories
• Excellent relationships with colleagues in psychology, including social, clinical, and quantitative
• Extensive opportunities and few barriers
• School of Public Health Dean trained in health behavior and a champion of behavioral principles and theories
• Excellent relationships with colleagues in psychology, including social, clinical, and quantitative
Preparing for the FuturePreparing for the Future
• NIH is a major source of funding for psychological research
• Addressing health problems is typically a multi-level enterprise
• Methods, theories, and approaches from psychology play a critical role
• Psychology should acknowledge and engage these challenges
• NIH is a major source of funding for psychological research
• Addressing health problems is typically a multi-level enterprise
• Methods, theories, and approaches from psychology play a critical role
• Psychology should acknowledge and engage these challenges
