14 Health Psychology: Overview and Professional Issues
The EFPPA task force placed the training requirements of
professional health psychologists into eight categories:
1.Academic Knowledge Base (Psychology). Professional
health psychologists require an in-depth understanding of:
Lifespan perspectives and developmental processes.
Health-related cognitions.
Social factors and ethnicity.
Psychoneuroimmunology.
Psychophysiological processes.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in the con-
text of health-related behavior.
Risk factors.
The health and safety of individuals in the workplace.
Personality, health, and disease.
Stress, illness, and coping.
Health care professional-patient communication.
Psychological aspects of medical procedures.
Coping with life events.
2.Academic Knowledge Base (Other).Professional health
psychologists require understanding of relevant aspects
only of:
Epidemiology.
Ethics.
Genetics.
Health policy.
Health sociology.
Health economics.
Human biology.
Immunology.
Medical anthropology.
Medicine.
Physiology.
Pharmacology.
Neuroendocrinology.
Cultural and religious studies.
3.Application of Psychological Skills to Health Care.Profes-
sional health psychologists require a working knowledge of:
Communication skills.
Consultancy skills.
Counseling skills.
Assessment and evaluation.
Psychological interventions aimed at change in indi-
viduals and systems (e.g., families, groups, worksites,
communities).
4.Research Skills.Professional health psychologists require
a working knowledge of research skills in speci“c appli-
cation to health and health care.
5.Teaching and Training Skills.Professional health psychol-
ogists require skills for teaching and training students and
other health and social care professionals including super-
visory skills.
6.Management Skills.Professional health psychologists re-
quire a working understanding of organizations and teams.
7.Professional Issues.Professional health psychologists re-
quire a working understanding of:
The place and status of health psychology in society.
Professional identity and autonomy.
Legal and statutory obligations and restrictions.
Transcultural issues.
International perspectives on professional health psy-
chology.
8.Ethical Issues.Professional health psychologists are required
to follow the ethical code of their national associations.Implementation of TrainingThe future development of health psychology as a profession
depends on putting theory and policy into practice through
the implementation of high-quality training. Currently, there
are relatively few European countries where this has yet
happened. Training programs need to be introduced in all
European countries within the framework of each member-
country•s national laws, regulations, and practices.
Section three speci“es “ve skill areas that were seen, not
as optional, but as mandatory. The assumptions of the
Matarazzo de“nition, the biopsychosocial model, and work-
ing in clinical settings are held in Europe as strongly as in the
United States. The Education and Training Committee of the
EHPS has published a reference guide of graduate programs
in health psychology in Europe (McIntyre, Maes, Weinman,
Wrzesniewski, & Marks, 2000). There are many masters and
PhD level programs but few DPsych or PsyD programs have
yet been developed. The traditional PhD is an academic qual-
i“cation providing little or no training in practitioner skills.
With some exceptions (e.g., the Netherlands), European
programs have a long way to go before they match most U.S.
programs for the depth and breadth of coverage.EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN
THE UNITED KINGDOMResponsibility for the accreditation of education and training
in psychology in the United Kingdom lies with the British
Psychological Society (BPS). The Society approved regula-
tions for a full professional quali“cation in health psychology