This interdisciplinary course focuses on how psycho-(individual thought and behavior) social (interactions with others) factors influence health and well-being. Psychosocial factors are broadly defined to include cognition, attributions, beliefs, personality, self-concept, social support, habits, behavior change, mindfulness, stress, and decision making. Likewise, health and well-being are broadly defined to include dementia, depression, coronary heart disease, rehabilitation after traumatic injuries, addiction, obesity, and mortality. Putting them together, examples of course topics include cognitive evidences of dementia, attributions causing depression, personality links to coronary events, beliefs promoting placebo effects, and behavioral change for smoking cessation. Concepts are introduced via charts with definitions and applications; quizzes are based on detecting the concepts in illustrative narratives. For those interested in pursuing careers in the health care professions it provides a basic understanding of the behavioral concepts that are included in professional school admissions tests as well as board certification tests.

This interdisciplinary course focuses on how psycho-(individual thought and behavior) social (interactions with others) factors influence health and well-being. Psychosocial factors are broadly defined to include cognition, attributions, beliefs, personality, self-concept, social support, habits, behavior change, mindfulness, stress, and decision making. Likewise, health and well-being are broadly defined to include dementia, depression, coronary heart disease, rehabilitation after traumatic injuries, addiction, obesity, and mortality. Putting them together, examples of course topics include cognitive evidences of dementia, attributions causing depression, personality links to coronary events, beliefs promoting placebo effects, and behavioral change for smoking cessation. Concepts are introduced via charts with definitions and applications; quizzes are based on detecting the concepts in illustrative narratives. For those interested in pursuing careers in the health care professions it provides a basic understanding of the behavioral concepts that are included in professional school admissions tests as well as board certification tests.