Health Psychology in Ireland

A Health Psychology Special Interest Group was formed in Ireland in 1987 (only two years after the foundation of EHPS), and the Division of Health Psychology was established in 2003, with Dr Brian Hughes, recent past President of the Psychological Society of Ireland, as its founding chair. The division was formed in response to rapidly increasing interest and research activity in the field from Irish psychologists, many of whom were graduates of the recently established postgraduate training programme in Health Psychology at NUI, Galway. This increase in research activity among psychologists was accompanied by a growing interest among health professionals in a psychological approach to health and health care.

The Division's primary aims are to promote awareness of Health Psychology in Ireland as a distinct specialty, to develop a clearly-defined career pathway for health psychologists in Ireland, and to promote and encourage research in Health Psychology and the application of this research to improve health services and the health status of the people of Ireland. The Division currently has nearly forty members and a eleven-person committee.

Since its inception, the Division has been responsible for organising several training workshops (with topics ranging from health behaviour change in general practice to multiple regression and factor analysis to motivational interviewing). In addition, a significant activity for the division has been organising an annual scientific conference. 'The Division has held eight annual conferences, the most recent of which was held in NUI, Galway on the 4th of April 2011. These conferences attract around 100 multidisciplinary delegates each year and are important in strengthening networks of people interested in Health Psychology in Ireland and beyond.

One of the main challenges facing the Division of Health Psychology is to develop a clearly-defined career pathway for health psychologists in Ireland and improve their employment prospects by promoting a recognised professional qualification in Health Psychology. There has been a working group within the Division set up to address this issue specifically and they are currently liaising with PSI to progress their aim.

Education in Health Psychology

The Department of Psychology at NUI, Galway was the first to introduce Health Psychology as a module to psychology undergraduates in 1990; currently all universities contain at least some Health Psychology content, with the majority providing at least one whole module in the area. At postgraduate level, a masters course - the MPsychSc in Health Psychology - was established at the NUI, Galway in 1994. Professor Ruth Curtis was the first director of the course; Dr AnnMarie Groarke, Anne Marie Keane M Litt, Seamus McLoone (Senior lecturer, retired) and Emeritus Professor Martin McHugh also contributed immensely to the setting up and running of this programme. Since, 2007, NUI Galway now have replaced the MPsychSc with a one year full time MSc in Health Psychology. There is an annual intake each Autumn and it is anticipated that 15 students will be admitted per year. NUI Galway have also introduced a four-year full-time structured PhD programme in Psychology and Health, which combines a PhD thesis with the taught academic components of the existing MSc in Health Psychology programme and a range of transferable skills.

Research in Health Psychology

The Psychology Department in NUI, Galway is a hub of research activity in health psychology, with current research focusing on areas such as psychological intervention with patients with breast cancer, stress and cardiovascular reactivity, immunisation uptake, interventions for behaviour change in general practice, health challenges among children and the impact of caffeine consumption on health. The Health Service Research Centre, directed by Professor Hannah McGee, which forms part of the Department of Psychology in the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, is another important centre for Health Psychology related research. Research focuses on quality of life, cardiovascular populations, ageing, patient experiences of illness and health care and sexual health. Other organisations also host Health Psychology researchers, such as university Departments of General Practice and Public Health Departments in the National Health Service.

See here for the accreditation guidelines for postgraduate courses in Health Psychology.

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