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410.613.01
Psychosocial Factors in Health and Illness

Location
East Baltimore
Term
3rd Term
Department
Health, Behavior and Society
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2024 - 2025
Instruction Method
In-person
Class Time(s)
M, W, 1:30 - 2:50pm
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
Yes
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Description
Reviews studies on the roles of social and psychological factors, such as socioeconomic status, mobility, ethnicity, stress, social support, coping, and illness behavior, in selected health disorders and chronic diseases. Discusses factors in relation to disease etiology, recognition of and response to symptoms, seeking care, the doctor-patient relationship and communication patterns, compliance, the course of disease, and disease outcomes.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Explain levels of analysis of psychosocial factors
  2. Delineate prominent theories of behavior change
  3. Compare measures of psychosocial factors
  4. Describe and critique quantitative measures of social context
  5. Analyze the relationship between behavioral factors and chronic and infectious diseases
  6. Develop behavioral interventions for disease prevention and treatment
  7. Develop conceptual models of behavior change
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
  • 25% Project(s)
  • 20% Participation
  • 10% Assignments
  • 45% Exam(s)