Abstract
Health education seeks to increase students’ awareness and knowledge regarding various aspects of health and university courses in Health Psychology may be one important avenue for promoting health education. Previous research has shown that students in a Health Psychology course reported a reduction in drug use and related behavioral symptoms (Miley, 2001). A limitation of this study, however, is that participants were at-risk students who elected to complete the course in lieu of punitive sanctions for on-campus alcohol violations. We conducted a quasi-experimental study with students who elected to complete the course as part of their regular academic program. The control group consisted of students enrolled in a Research Methods class. Specifically, we examined whether completing a 10-week Health Psychology course increases perceived overall mental health, physical health, mindfulness, and health self-efficacy, as well as decreased perceived stress. Preliminary analyses revealed that Health Psychology students tended to score lower on mental health, in comparison to the control group, suggesting that students who are experiencing greater challenges may be more inclined to take Health Psychology classes. Analyses showed a significant correlation between mindfulness and mental and physical health among Health Psychology students. Implications for health education and teaching of Health Psychology are discussed.
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