Medical psychology
A.A. 2025/2026
Obiettivi formativi
Medical psychology aims to provide students with an understanding of selected aspects of biological, psychological and social factors in sickness and health.
This integrated course provides a comprehensive understanding of the psychological foundations relevant to health, illness, and medical care. Drawing from general psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, and neuropsychology, the course aims to enhance students' ability to understand and manage the psychological aspects of patient care, the influence of psychosocial factors on disease development and progression. Emphasis is placed on the biopsychosocial model, psychoneuroendocrinoimmunological interactions, clinical reasoning and clinical decision making, and the development of essential relational and diagnostic skills.
The medical psychology course is characterized by 4 modules:
· General Psychology (3 CFU); Gabriella Pravettoni, Ketti Mazzocco
· Clinical psychology (1 CFU); Elena Vegni, Giulia Lamiani
· Social psychology (1 CFU); Davide Mazzoni
· Neuropsychology (1 CFU); Roberta Ferrucci
This integrated course provides a comprehensive understanding of the psychological foundations relevant to health, illness, and medical care. Drawing from general psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, and neuropsychology, the course aims to enhance students' ability to understand and manage the psychological aspects of patient care, the influence of psychosocial factors on disease development and progression. Emphasis is placed on the biopsychosocial model, psychoneuroendocrinoimmunological interactions, clinical reasoning and clinical decision making, and the development of essential relational and diagnostic skills.
The medical psychology course is characterized by 4 modules:
· General Psychology (3 CFU); Gabriella Pravettoni, Ketti Mazzocco
· Clinical psychology (1 CFU); Elena Vegni, Giulia Lamiani
· Social psychology (1 CFU); Davide Mazzoni
· Neuropsychology (1 CFU); Roberta Ferrucci
Risultati apprendimento attesi
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
· Demonstrate knowledge of the main cognitive processes and explain how these processes influence patient behavior, adherence to treatment, and health-related decision-making.
· Understand and describe the essential concepts in psychoneuroimmunology, the basic mechanisms by which the social, the psychological, the nervous, the endocrine, and the immune systems communicate and critically discuss how these mechanisms are relevant for mental and physical health and disease.
· Identify the psycho-social factors affecting the biological (dis)functioning.
· Apply communication techniques to simulate effective clinical interviews, including strategies for obtaining patient histories, exploring illness narratives, and addressing emotional responses in medical encounters.
· Understand and compare the models of disease-centered and patient-centered medicine, explain the patient's agenda, and implement communication strategies—including delivering bad news—during patient-centered interviews.
· Reflect on emotional challenges and motivational factors commonly encountered in helping professions, particularly in the context of long-term care and emotionally charged situations.
· Analyze how social factors and interpersonal relationships influence physical and psychological health, using established psychological theories, and describe key areas of application within the field of health-related social psychology.
· Identify and explain the symptoms of major neuropsychological conditions and describe the tests used in clinical neuropsychological evaluations.
· Demonstrate knowledge of the main cognitive processes and explain how these processes influence patient behavior, adherence to treatment, and health-related decision-making.
· Understand and describe the essential concepts in psychoneuroimmunology, the basic mechanisms by which the social, the psychological, the nervous, the endocrine, and the immune systems communicate and critically discuss how these mechanisms are relevant for mental and physical health and disease.
· Identify the psycho-social factors affecting the biological (dis)functioning.
· Apply communication techniques to simulate effective clinical interviews, including strategies for obtaining patient histories, exploring illness narratives, and addressing emotional responses in medical encounters.
· Understand and compare the models of disease-centered and patient-centered medicine, explain the patient's agenda, and implement communication strategies—including delivering bad news—during patient-centered interviews.
· Reflect on emotional challenges and motivational factors commonly encountered in helping professions, particularly in the context of long-term care and emotionally charged situations.
· Analyze how social factors and interpersonal relationships influence physical and psychological health, using established psychological theories, and describe key areas of application within the field of health-related social psychology.
· Identify and explain the symptoms of major neuropsychological conditions and describe the tests used in clinical neuropsychological evaluations.
Periodo: Secondo semestre
Modalità di valutazione: Esame
Giudizio di valutazione: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento non può essere seguito come corso singolo. Puoi trovare gli insegnamenti disponibili consultando il catalogo corsi singoli.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Responsabile
Prerequisiti
None
Modalità di verifica dell’apprendimento e criteri di valutazione
Multiple-choice questions and a clinical case with open-ended questions
General psychology
Programma
- Cognitive processes and their application to medical field
- Clinical reasoning and clinical decision making
- Health and disease according to complexity science and systems theories
- Connections and interplay among regulatory systems in a psychoneuroendocrineoimmunological perspective
- Psychological factors affecting the biological systems
- Stress axes and the bidirectional connections between mind and body
- Clinical reasoning and clinical decision making
- Health and disease according to complexity science and systems theories
- Connections and interplay among regulatory systems in a psychoneuroendocrineoimmunological perspective
- Psychological factors affecting the biological systems
- Stress axes and the bidirectional connections between mind and body
Metodi didattici
Theoretical and practical frontal lectures, including case discussions, video screenings, small group work, simulated clinical interviews, and reading of scientific articles.
Materiale di riferimento
- Bottaccioli, A. G., & Bottaccioli, F. (2020). PsychoNeuroEndocrineImmunology and the science of integrated care. The manual. Edra
- Other reference material for the course will be provided by the professors in the classroom during the lessons
- Other reference material for the course will be provided by the professors in the classroom during the lessons
Psychobiology and physiologic psychology
Programma
- Core Concepts and Neuropsychological Assessment
- Neuropsychology of Cognitive Functions
- Neuropsychology of Clinical Disorders
- Neuropsychology of Cognitive Functions
- Neuropsychology of Clinical Disorders
Metodi didattici
Theoretical and practical frontal lectures, including case discussions, video screenings, small group work, simulated clinical interviews, and reading of scientific articles.
Materiale di riferimento
The reference material for the course will be provided by the professor in the classroom during the lessons.
Social psychology
Programma
- Introduction to the social psychology of health
- The impact of social connections on health: social networks, social support
- The impact of new technologies on social connections
- Research and intervention approaches in social psychology
- The impact of social connections on health: social networks, social support
- The impact of new technologies on social connections
- Research and intervention approaches in social psychology
Metodi didattici
Theoretical and practical frontal lectures, including case discussions, video screenings, small group work, simulated clinical interviews, and reading of scientific articles.
Materiale di riferimento
- Dijkstra, A., & Rothman, A. (2017). Social psychology of health and illness. In L. Steg, K. Keizer, A. P. Buunk, & T. Rothengatter (Eds.), Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Managing Social Problems (pp. 214-234). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- McDowell, I. (2023). Social Networks, Social Support, and Health. In: Understanding Health Determinants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28986-6_9
- Lyons, A.C., Chamberlain, K. (2025). Critical Health Psychology. In: Gough, B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80533-2_29
- Slides and other documents will be provided during the lectures
NOTE: Some of the references could be available online through the University Service Minerva https://sba.unimi.it/en/home
- McDowell, I. (2023). Social Networks, Social Support, and Health. In: Understanding Health Determinants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28986-6_9
- Lyons, A.C., Chamberlain, K. (2025). Critical Health Psychology. In: Gough, B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80533-2_29
- Slides and other documents will be provided during the lectures
NOTE: Some of the references could be available online through the University Service Minerva https://sba.unimi.it/en/home
Clinical psychology
Programma
- The disease-centered medicine model and the patient-centered medicine model
- Communication techniques for patient-centered interviews and for communicating bad news
- The physician's experience: emotional costs and motivational factors in helping professions
- Communication techniques for patient-centered interviews and for communicating bad news
- The physician's experience: emotional costs and motivational factors in helping professions
Metodi didattici
Theoretical and practical frontal lectures, including case discussions, video screenings, small group work, simulated clinical interviews, and reading of scientific articles.
Materiale di riferimento
- M Stewart, JB Brown, WW Weston et al. Patient-centered Medicine: Transforming the Clinical Method. 4th edition, CRC Press
Moduli o unità didattiche
Clinical psychology
M-PSI/08 - PSICOLOGIA CLINICA - CFU: 1
Lezioni: 8 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 4 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 4 ore
Docenti:
Lamiani Giulia Marta, Vegni Elena Anna Maria
General psychology
M-PSI/01 - PSICOLOGIA GENERALE - CFU: 3
Lezioni: 24 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 12 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 12 ore
Docenti:
Mazzocco Ketti, Pravettoni Gabriella
Psychobiology and physiologic psychology
M-PSI/02 - PSICOBIOLOGIA E PSICOLOGIA FISIOLOGICA - CFU: 1
Lezioni: 8 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 4 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 4 ore
Docente:
Ferrucci Roberta
Social psychology
M-PSI/05 - PSICOLOGIA SOCIALE - CFU: 1
Lezioni: 8 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 4 ore
Lezioni - Didattica Innovativa: 4 ore
Docente:
Mazzoni Davide
Docente/i
Ricevimento:
Previo appuntamento
Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Padiglione Monteggia,
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Psicologia clinica, Ospedale San Paolo, Blocco C, 8 piano, Via di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milano
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Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Via Ripamonti 435
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Dipartimento di Oncologia ed Emato-Oncologia, via Santa Sofia 9/1, V piano
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via G. Ripamonti 435 - stanza 310
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