In this course, theories on the determinants of health behaviour and on the processes of behavioural change will be addressed, including issues such as ‘why do people endanger their health?’ and ‘why are good intentions not enough to change behaviour? Students will reflect on one main theoretical construct of their interest, how it is embedded in theory, the proposed underlying working mechanisms, and the empirical findings from previous research on the construct. Based on these analyses students will determine what the next step should be to increase knowledge on the construct, and formulate a new research question and study design. They will then design and pilot-test a questionnaire as a measurement instrument, and present their overall findings during a poster session.

In this course the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of a variety of chronic diseases (e.g. coronary heart disease, pain syndromes, cancer, diabetes) will be addressed. The assessment of psychosocial problems associated with these diseases as well as frequently used psychological assessment instruments measuring these psychosocial problems will be discussed, both from a conceptual and methodological perspective. In addition, the theoretical concepts related to determinants/predictors of psychosocial problems (e.g. illness perceptions, stress, coping) will be addressed. Finally, the evaluation of generic as well as disease-specific psychosocial interventions that focus on improving health-related quality of life and/or self-management in patients with chronic disease will be discussed.

The course will provide an overview of biological approaches to one of the major psychiatric disorders, as well as in-depth knowledge of one of the biological systems or pathways that are currently linked to the development and maintenance of psychiatric disorders. In the 2016 edition of this course, these foci will be mood disorders and the gut/brain axis, respectively. Expert speakers will provide in depth lectures on biological mechanisms and interventions that are related to psychiatric outcome. These lectures will aid students in writing their own research proposal, which consists of a critical review of the literature relevant to the chosen topic, and a proposal for future research.