Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Hospital Psychology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan
Teaching staff
Subject Coordinator: Ms. Ingrid Ramo
It is necessary to make an appointment in advance: iramo@uic.es
Introduction
In recent years cancer and degenerative diseases have experienced an increase in their incidence and frequency. The number of people who survives also improved, but the frequentappearance of new cases means that we have to offer multidisciplinary care, since cancer is not a disease whose effect ends when the treatments end. Patients need support in their needs that go beyond physical healing, to deal with the multiple problems they encounter, at a psychological, work, social, relational level and adaptation to the physical sequelae of the treatments and diseases. Every medical challenge means a new psychosocial challenge that needs to be tackled and helped to manage. On the other hand, in the face of the evolution of palliative care, the need to offer comprehensive and interdisciplinary care to people with advanced disease, as well as to their families.
The figure of the psychologist, becomes fundamental in order to be able to alleviate the psychological and existential suffering derived from the process of illness and end of life.
This subject aims to introduce future professionals in psychology, the basic notions and skills needed to ensure a quality approach. In the same way, it wants to facilitate the development of its own tools of emotional self-regulation that become indispensable for professionals who have direct contact with other people's suffering.
Pre-course requirements
Willingness to develop one’s own skills in this area.
Objectives
1. To know the idiosyncrasy of oncological disease, its meaning at a social and cultural level.
2. To know the history of Psycho-oncology and its evolution parallel to that of Oncology
3. To determine the psychosocial effects of cancer, the impact of diagnosis and treatments
4. To identify specific repercussions of the most frequent oncological locations
5. To know the individual determinants in the adaptation and coping with the disease
6. To know the current situation of palliative care from an interdisciplinary point of view.
7. To explain the specific role of the psychologist in this field
8. To promote communication skills and support in situations of high emotional impact.
9. To offer resources for evaluation and psychological and spiritual intervention for the treatment of people in a situation of advanced illness and / or end of life
10. To provide self-care tools to professionals. Prevention of compassion fatigue.
11.To identify the processes of normal grief and pathological grief as well as acquire the necessary knowledge to accompany people who are suffering a loss.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB02 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competences that are usually demonstrated through the creation and defence of arguments and the solving of problems within their field of study.
- CB03 - Students must have the ability to bring together and interpret relevant data (normally within their area of study) in order to issue judgements that include a reflection on relevant issues of a social, scientific and ethical nature.
- CE01 - The ability to carry out appropriate Psychology-specific actions to achieve set targets in a specific work environment.
- CE03 - The ability to make adequate decisions about what Psychology-specific methods and measuring instruments to use in each situation or evaluation context.
- CE04 - Know the principles and procedures of psychological intervention.
- CE08 - Awareness of the professional reality of psychologists in a specific field of application.
- CE12 - The ability to explain and identify the main stages of human development, recognise their progression and identify the characteristic signs and symptoms of the most frequent psychological conditions in each stage of development.
- CE17 - The ability to analyse the psychological and social demands and needs of people, groups and organisations in different contexts.
- CG04 - The ability to respect and enforce the code of ethics and act ethically in all activities related to the practice of the profession.
- CG10 - Sensitivity to the needs and expectations of others.
Learning outcomes of the subject
To Have an overview of the basics of Psycho-oncology
To Know the medical and individual variables that determine the reaction and coping with
oncological disease.
To Obtain general information on the psychosocial impact of diagnosis and medical treatments
To Learn the differential characteristics in the psychological reaction according to types of tumors
To have a comprehensive understanding of the current situation of palliative care and the specific role of the psychologist.
To acquire basic ideas in bioethics which are necessary for decision making.
To learn about the different types of disease that affect patients under treatment, as well as their different phases.
To develop competencies, skills and knowledge about psychological and spiritual evaluation and intervention in this field.
To gain a basic insight into the grieving process and associated factors.
To learn about communication and counselling tools as well as resources for emotional self-regulation.
Syllabus
Module 1: Psycho-oncology
Unit 1. Introduction. Psycho-oncology concept. History of oncology and emergence of the
need for psychological support
Unit 2. History Psycho-oncology. information
Unit 3. Psychosocial problem
Unit 4. Impact of the diagnosis
Unit 5. Cancer treatments, psychological repercussions and possible approaches.
Unit 6. Locations I: head and neck, colon, lung and their impact.
Unit 7. Locations II: breast, prostate and their impact.
Unit 8. Coping
Unit 9. Healing, survival. Fear of relapse.
Unit10. Recurrence and metastasis.
Unit 11. The family of the oncological patient.
Unit 12. Bioethics
Unit 13. Children and adolescents
Unit 14. Reactions to cancer in elderly people.
Module 2: Palliative Care Psychology
Unit 1. Introduction to Palliative Care and the role of the psychologist
Unit 2: Forgiveness at the end of life
Unit 3. Communication and Counseling
Unit 4. Evaluation and emotional intervention
Unit 5 Evaluation and spiritual intervention
Unit 6. Geriatrics and specific intervention in people with advanced cognitive impairment
Unit 7. The mourning process
Unit 8. Emotional self-regulation in professionals
Unit 9. The end-of-life process
Unit 10. Palliative care in childhood and adolescence
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Final grade: Exam (80% test-type questions and 20% open questions)
Bibliography and resources
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Bayés R. (2001). Psicología del sufrimiento y de la muerte. Barcelona: Martínez Roca.
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Bayés R, Limonero JT (2005). Influencia de la proximidad de la muerte en los factores que pueden ayudar a morir en paz. Med Clín; 124: 556.
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Ética y sedación al final de la vida. (2003) Fundación Víctor Grífols y Lucas. Cuaderno nº 9. Barcelona.
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Estapé Madinabeitia, T. (2018). Cáncer: cómo afrontar los tres días esenciales.
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Gomis C, Barbero J, Giró (2008): Benito E.; Barbero, J.; Payás, A. (comp.) El
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Acompañamiento espiritual en Cuidados Paliativos. Una introducción y una propuesta. SECPAL-Arán, Madrid.
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Manual para la atención psicosocial y espiritual a personas con enfermedades avanzadas. Intervención psicológica y espiritual. Obra Social "La Caixa".
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Intervención emocional en cuidados paliativos. Modelos y protocolos. P. Arranz, J. Barbero, P. Barreto, R. Bayés. Ariel
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Maheu, C., Singh, M., Tock, WL, Eyrenci, A., Galica, J., Hébert, M., ... & Estapé, T. (2021). Leer el cancer recurrencia, la anxieta de salud, el olvido, y un certainty: En el scoping review sobre la conceptualización y la medición mediante una breve cancer survivorship research. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 644932.
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Watson M. Thirty years of Psycho-Oncology. Psychooncology. 2022 Apr;31(4):553. doi: 10.1002/pon.5926. PMID: 35396892.
Evaluation period
- E1 09/01/2025 I3 08:00h