HPS778 - Clinical Health Psychology
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 2: Fiore D'Aprano |
| Cohort rule | This unit is only available to students enrolled in H745, H750 |
| Prerequisite | HPS714, HPS777 For course H745: HPS714 |
| Corequisite | HPS714 and HPS779 |
| Incompatible with | HPS978 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | One full week (5 x 7 hours) on-campus teaching intensive at Waurn Ponds Campus It is expected that students will also engage in pre recorded content online, prior to the teaching intensive (6 x 1 hours). |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Content
A key aim of the unit is to build students' competency in the application of clinical psychology within health and medical practice settings, including rehabilitation from illness and injury. Students will learn to apply advanced psychological knowledge of biopsychosocial models of health in the assessment and treatment of mental health comorbidities related to the impacts of illness, hospitalisation, and medical treatments, and psychological issues related to chronic, sub-acute and acute health conditions such as chronic pain and cancer. Students will further their understanding of the role of health and medical illness in the aetiology, progress and recovery of mental health conditions. The unit will provide an opportunity for students to learn and practice applications of appropriate therapies in the management of, and adjustment to, illness and injury. Students will also develop their knowledge of psychopharmacology and its role in the biopsychosocial treatment of common mental health disorders, whilst also critically examining the role of clinical psychology in medication adherence and other health behaviour change. This will include a focus on the professional identity of clinical psychologists working within multi-disciplinary medical teams and the development of competence in secondary consultation and other critical communication modes relevant to medical and other health settings.
Learning outcomes
Each unit in your course is a building block towards Deakin's Graduate Learning Outcomes - not all units develop and assess every Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO).
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Assess for psychological and mental health impacts of illness, hospitalisation, and medical treatments. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Apply advanced knowledge of biopsychosocial models of health and illness through the formulation of Clinical Psychology treatment plans across a range of client presentations within health, medical and rehabilitation settings. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Apply appropriate psychological interventions to support clients in the adjustment to, and management of, illness and injury. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Apply models and theories of behaviour change and motivation to support behaviour change, including engagement with psychopharmacological interventions. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO5 | Demonstrate inter-professional collaboration skills in communicating advanced knowledge of psychological factors in the development of, adjustment to, and treatment of a range of illnesses and medical conditions. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
Assessment
| Assessment description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Biopsychosocial | 1600 words | Ungraded Pass/Ungraded Fail |
|
| Assessment 2: Clinical Health Psychology Handover (Individual) | 5 minutes | Ungraded Pass/Ungraded Fail |
|
| Assessment 3: Objective Simulated Clinical Examination (OSCE) | 20 minutes | Ungraded Pass/Ungraded Fail |
|
This unit is an ungraded pass/ungraded fail only. All assessments must be passed in order for the unit to be passed.
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.
To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.
Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.