How To Be A Health Psychologist In The Netherlands

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Master in Health Psychology

Master in Health

Psychology

Veronica Janssen & Yama Masoud

Veronica Janssen

v

Researcher and lecturer department

of Health Psychology

v

Medical psychologist cardiac

rehabilitation clinic

v

Chair and member national steering

committees on (psychological)

treatment in cardiac rehabilitation

(e.g., developing guidelines etc.)

-> Scientist – practitioner model

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Master in Health Psychology

Professional perspectives

Health care

v  Primary health care (adults, children)

v  Burnout-prevention

v  Private practice

v  Secondary health care: GGZ, hospitals,

rehabilitation centers, medical centers

v  Entry to GZ-opleiding

v  Medical psychology department hospital:

• Pain management

• Oncology and hematology

• Endocrinology

• Cardiology etc.

Professional perspectives

Primary prevention & training

v Municipal health organisations

v RutgersWPF, Voorlichtingsburo Voeding, Trimbos, etc.

v Hersenstichting, Hartstichting, KWF, Astma Fonds, etc.

v Companies

Research

v Universities and research institutes (TNO, Nivel, etc.)

Policy

v Local or federal government

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Master in Health Psychology

v

Focuses on individual strengths !

v

Mind – Body interaction

v

Emphasis on prevention and adaptation during all

phases from health to illness.

Health Psychology

Salutogenic approach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Hw1FTwUG6fg

Self-regulatory skills

Healthy environments

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=2lXh2n0aPyw&feature=player_detailpage

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Master in Health Psychology

v  Complex interplay physical well-being and biological, psychological

& social factors.

v  Changing lifestyles.

v  Nature of the stress response and impact on health.

v  Coping with stress.

v  Impact of disabling or life-threatening illnesses on patients and

families.

v  Coping with chronic illness

v  Interventions focused on dealing with chronic illness:

v  Self-management and lifestyle change

v  Treatment of mental health problems: e.g., adjustment issues, anxiety, depression v  Clinical health psychology skills

Topics of Health Psychology in Leiden

MSc Program Health Psychology

Standard

•

Mandatory courses

20 ec

•

Electives

0 ec

•

Internship

20 ec *

•

Thesis

20 ec

* incl. Organisational, ethical & legal aspects of health care + BAPD

Alternative 20 ec

10 ec

20 ec

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Master in Health Psychology

Health psychology programma (start Sept)

September October November December January February March April May June 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

x

BTS (5) CBI (5) HPDP (5) PAICD (5)

Thesis (20) Internship (20)

x EL: Innovations in E-health care (5)

BTS (5) CBI (5) EL: Health Psych.in Practice (5)Possible elective (5) HPDP (5) PAICD (5) Internship (10)

Thesis (20)

TCCS (10 elective) IBV internship (10)

February March April May June July August September October November DecemberJanuary

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 1 2 3 4 5 Mandatory courses BTS (5) CBI (5) HPDP (5) PAICD (5) Thesis (20) Possible Elective HPiP (5) Internship (10) Internship (20)

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Master in Health Psychology

You are a health psychologist

working for the government.

You have been asked to:

Imagine this….

v  Binge-drinking in adolescents is a huge problem

v  The legal drinking age in the Netherlands has been raised to 18

v  Adolescents now go on ‘drinking-holidays’ to Belgium (e.g. Knokke)

v  The government wants to develop an intervention program to

prevent binge-drinking holidays

Case Example

‘Binge Drinking’

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Master in Health Psychology

v  1x yearly

v  4 two-hour lectures:

v recent insights into theory- and evidence-based health promotion.

v systematic approach to design and implementation of effective interventions.

v  7 three-hour workgroups:

v designing an intervention aimed at improving health.

v implementing and evaluating part of the intervention in a real-life situation (lesson at a secondary school).

Health promotion &

disease prevention

You are a health psychologist

working for a rehabilitation

center.

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Master in Health Psychology

v  Many patiens in rehabilitation suffer from (chronic) pain

v  This interferes with treatment and affects quality of life

v  The rehabilitation center has asked you to:

v  Develop a routine screening system to detect these

patients

v  Develop an evidence-based intervention to treat these

patients

Case Example:

Pain Management

How would you go about this?

v  1x yearly

v epidemiology of, and psychosocial problems associated with a variety of chronic diseases.

v disease-specific psychosocial intervention programs for quality of life and self-management.

v  7 three-hour workgroups:

v Training in using different assessment instruments.

v Training in using specific intervention strategies in patients with chronic disease.

Psychological assessment and

interventions in chronic disease

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Master in Health Psychology

You are a health psychologist

working at the medical

psychology department of a

large hospital. The following

patient is referred to you:

Imagine this….

v  23-year old woman, suffers from Diabetes Mellitus Type 1

(DM)

v  Iraqi refugee, residence permit, works as shopassistent

v  Depressed mood, “bad” boyfriends, badly regulated DM

v  Wants to take better care of herself and regulate her

blood glucose

v  Problem: frequently fails to show up for psychotherapy

sessions

v  Demands instant appointments and cries a lot during

sessions

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Master in Health Psychology

v  2x yearly

v requirements that ensure that patients can benefit from a therapeutic relationship.

v  14 four-hour workgroups:

v training in basic therapeutic skills, such as building the psychotherapeutic relationship, establishing rapport, handling resistance, reflective listening etc.)

v Mini-therapy sessions

Basic therapeutic skills

v  45-year old man, experienced a heart attack

v  Married, two children, works as an airplane controller

v  High levels of anxiety, in particular:

v Very scared of getting a heart attack

v Fear of confined spaces (buses, trains, lifts, tunnels, theatres,

cinemas etc.)

v Fear of helicopter/meteorite crashes

v Avoids confined spaces and travelling by public transport

v Avoids physical exercise

v  Would like to live a more anxiety-free life

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Master in Health Psychology

v  2x yearly

v general aspects of cognitive-behavior therapy.

v specific interventions for different psychopathologies.

v  7 three-hour and 7 four-hour workgroups:

v training in basic cognitive-behavioral interventions, such as case formulation, exposure, cognitive restructuring and relapse prevention.

v  Mini-therapy sessions: applying these interventions as an

apprentice therapist to one of the fellow students.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions

v

Thesis-information-meeting (October/February).

v

A list of topics; you can indicate your topic of interest.

v

Placement and contact with supervisor.

v

There are two deadlines:

v

handing in the research proposal (incl. oral presentation)

v

the final date for the thesis (incl. poster presentation).

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Master in Health Psychology

v  Internship-info-meeting (October and February).

v  Start (preferably) an internship after completion courses and thesis

research activities.

v  Finding a place: Find a setting that fulfills the criteria, check with the

coordinator, apply, determine tasks, get final permission from coordinator, sign contract, send contract to coordinator.

v  Clinical practice internship: 20 ec (including diagnosis and treatment

of pts). For example:

v  Medical psychology department hospital or rehabilitation center

v  Practice or Research internship (10 ec) For example:

v  GGD health promotion v  TNO research

v  Trainers Course Communication Skills (10ec EL)and teach the 2nd_{year IBV course}

(10 ec Internship).

Internship

Doing the MSc in 1 year is requires good planning, but is certainly

feasible.

Electives if time allows it:

v

List of electives in e-guide (from own & other specialisations).

v

Electives from specialisations within psychology.

v

Health Psychology in Practice is recommended.

v

Innovations in Ehealth care is recommended.

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Master in Health Psychology

v

Health care psychologist (e.g., GZ-opleiding)

v

Specific therapy-training programs (e.g.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy)

v

PhD-study

These are eligible for all students who have completed a

Master in Clinical, Health, Child and Adolescent or Clinical

Neuropsychology!

Note: some additional requirements (e.g. re internship) and

high competition!

Post-master programs

Why health psychology ?

v

Focus on normal psychology =

normal reactions to possible abnormal situations (adaptation)

[vs. abnormal psychology and psychopathology =

abnormal reaction to normal situations (anxiety disorders)]

v

Only 1-year professional Master in NL where health promotion

and coping with chronic illness are offered in combination.

v

Strong link theory –practice.

v

Keeping all options open.

v

International focus.

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Master in Health Psychology

or contact Chris Verhoeven by mail

verhoeven@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Questions??

Please also take the opportunity

to ask your personal question(s)

in the ‘meet and greet’ after this

session.