PART I. FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

• Topic 1: What is Health?

  • Cross-Cultural Definitions of Health

  • Why are Culture and Diversity Important?

  • Multicultural America

  • Advancing Cultural Competence

  • Health Psychology’s Biopsychosocial Approach

  • Gender Diversity and Health: Biopsychocultural Perspectives

  • Socio-Cultural Determinants of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Health

  • Evolution of Health Psychology, Careers, and Graduate Training

• Topic 2: Research Methods In Health Psychology

  • Psychology as a Science

  • Doing Research Psychology

  • Research Designs

  • Statistics

  • Levels of Analysis

  • Ethical Cross-Cultural Research

• Topic 3: Cultural Approaches to Health

  • Measurements of Cultural Competence

  • World Medicine

  • Western Biomedicine

  • Traditional Indian Medicine

  • Spiritualism and Curanderismo

  • American Indian Medicine

  • African American Beliefs

  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine

  • The Respiratory System & Culture

• Topic 4: Essential Physiology for Health Psychology

  • Human Development

  • The Nervous System

  • The Endocrine System

  • The Circulatory System

  • The Digestive System

  • The Physiology of Immunity

  • The Role of Culture in Physiology

PART II. PSYCHOSOCIAL ADVERSITY, HEALTH EQUITY, AND RESILIENCE

• Topic 5: Diverse Understandings of Psychosocial Adversity

  • Factors Influencing Our Appraisals

  • The Role of Culture in Appraisal

  • The Diathesis-Stress Model

  • Hormones and Genes

  • Different Varieties of Stressors

  • Culture as a Critical Stressor

  • Perceived Discrimination

  • Gender Minority Stress, Resilience, and Allostatic Load
  • Psychosocial Adversity and Health Disparities in Transgender Populations

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

  • Positive Childhood Experiences

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Topic 6: Culturally Grounded Coping and Social Support

  • Common Measures of Coping

  • The Structure of Coping

  • Personality and Diverse Coping Styles

  • Coping, Ethnic Identity, and Culture

  • Types of Social Support

  • Cultural Variables in Social Support

  • Theories of Social Support Change

  • Evidence-Based Approaches

PART III. HEALTH BEHAVIORS

• Topic 7: Theories of Health Behavior Change

  • Health-Promoting Behaviors

  • Health-Compromising Behaviors

  • Factors That Determine Health Behaviors

  • Key Theories of Health Behavior Change

    • Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

    • The Health Belief Model

    • Theory of Planned Behavior

  • Additional Theories of Health Behavior Change

  • Comparing the Models and Their Limitations

  • Changing Behaviors: Interventions

• Topic 8: Lifestyles in Context: Eating, Activity, and Substance Use

  • Nutrition and Weight

  • Culture and Eating Disorders

  • Cultural Variations in Physical Activity

  • Psychological Consequences of Physical Activity

  • Cultural Variations in Smoking and Drinking

  • Tobacco Use

  • Alcohol Use

PART IV. FACTORS SURROUNDING ILLNESS

• Topic 9: Illness Cognitions, Adherence, and Patient-Practitioner Interactions

  • Culture and Illness Behaviors

  • Measuring Illness Perception

  • The Commonsense Model of Illness Behavior

  • Recognizing Symptoms

  • Seeking Treatment and the Role of Culture

  • The Hospital Setting

  • Understanding Treatment Delays

  • Staff Relations

  • Adherence to Treatment

  • Patient-Practitioner Interactions & Communication

  • Gender and Cultural Stereotyping

  • Gender-Affirming Care and Patient-Practitioner Dynamics
  • Navigating Institutional Barriers in Transgender and Non-Binary Healthcare

  • Cultural Competency in Healthcare

• Topic 10: Diverse Approaches to Pain

  • Measuring Pain

  • Cultural Variations in the Experience of Pain

  • Sex and Ethnic Differences in Pain

  • Typologies and Biology of Pain

  • Theories of Pain

  • The Psychology of Pain

  • Pain Management Techniques

  • Self-Management of Chronic Pain

• Topic 11: Management of Chronic and Terminal Health Disorders

  • Measuring Life Satisfaction

  • Prevalence of Chronic Illnesses

  • Coping with Chronic Illness

  • Biopsychosocial Components of Adjustment

  • Culture and Chronic Illness

  • Clinical Interventions

  • Coping with Terminal Illness

  • The Role of Religious Diversity

  • Cultural Variations in Death and Dying

  • Sex, Gender, and Death

PART V. MAJOR ILLNESS

• Topic 12: Psychoneuroimmunology and Immune-Related Disorders

  • Behavioral Conditioning and Immunity

  • HIV and AIDS: Overviews and Context

  • Psychological and Physiological Correlates of HIV/AIDS

  • Cultural Variations in HIV/AIDS (Women, Ethnicity, and Subcultures)

  • Health Psychological Models Relating to HIV/AIDS

• Topic 13: Cancer: Fundamentals and Cultural Variation

  • Prevalence and Types of Cancer

  • Cultural Variations in Cancer Incidence

  • Cultural Differences in Beliefs and Knowledge About Cancer

  • Developmental Issues and Physiological Correlates

  • Psychological Factors in Cancer Incidence, Diagnosis, Progression, and Coping

  • Cancer and Immunity

  • Health Behaviors and Treatment Options

  • Behavioral Interventions & Screening Diversities

  • Inhibiting Progression and Helping Patients Cope

• Topic 14: Cardiovascular Disease: Fundamentals and Cultural Variations

  • Prevalence and Pathology of Cardiovascular Disease

  • Cultural Variations in Incidence

  • Developmental Issues in Cardiovascular Disease

  • Physiological and Psychological Correlates

  • Health Behaviors and Treatment Options

• Topic 15: Emerging Frontiers, Digital Health, and the Future of the Field

  • Current Debates and Epistemological Controversies in Health Psychology
  • Digital Health Interventions: Telehealth, Mobile Health (mHealth), and Wearable Technology
  • Informatics and AI: Navigating the Ethics of Health Information Technology
  • Interprofessional Training Models and Integrated Behavioral Health Careers
  • The Biopsychocultural Paradigm: Advancing Equity in Translational Health Science