Integrated Care Workshop 1: Cardiovascular Diseases and Metabolic Syndrome

· The course aims to equip students with advanced skills in the psychological management of patients with cardiovascular diseases, both congenital and acquired, at various stages of the life cycle. · The purpose of the laboratory is to provide students with practical training through exercises and role-playing, so that they can concretely apply psychological theories and techniques in a clinical context. · The course aims to address complex issues such as psychological support during hospitalization, trauma management, end-of-life care, and grief processing, providing students with tools for a holistic and humanized management of cardiac patients. Furthermore, students will aquire basic skills in defining, managing and delivering interventions to promote adherence to treatment protocols and behavioural change, focusing on modifiable factors, lifestyle and psycho-emotional wellbeing associated with the development of metabolic and cardiovascular disease using an integrated approach.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Analyze and evaluate the psychosocial aspects that characterize adults with different types of heart disease, and propose targeted psychological interventions based on the patient's characteristics and needs.
Apply specific interview techniques, analyzing clinical cases for an optimal initial approach to the patient.
Use strategies that promote the patient's autonomy in managing their illness, such as motivational interviewing, with the aim of improving treatment adherence and quality of life.
Assess and apply strategies for managing trauma, the terminal phase, grief processing, and, if present, the management of suicidal ideation within the context of heart disease.
Integrate theory and practice through exercises, structured feedback, and reflection on different professional roles (psychologist, patient, observer), with a particular focus on the regulation of therapeutic distance and awareness of one's own clinical stance. Manage the patient's care pathway using an integrated approach through the application of multidisciplinary strategies that include clinical, psychological and social aspects, to improve the overall individual wellbeing.
Use strategies to encourage behavioural changes in individuals and groups, with the aim of preventing illness and promoting health.
Collect and interpret relevant clinical, behavioural and psychosocial data.
Collaborate with different healthcare professionals to define an integrated care plan.