General Health Psychology: One Of The Specialties With The Most Job Opportunities
In general terms, it is easy to associate psychology with the idea of a private consultation in which specific problems are addressed. However, the Psychology Degree provides broad and, sometimes, unspecialized training since psychology is a science with various areas of application in people’s lives and also at a social level.
In this article, we will focus on one of the branches that has gained the most relevance in recent times: general health psychology. We will briefly explain what it is, we will talk about the training and the requirements to be able to exercise it and we will also address the skills that are acquired with this training. Finally, we will see the areas of application and some possible job opportunities.
As we can deduce from its name, the main focus of approach in general health psychology is health. To do this, the training includes the essential points that we can consider: evaluation, diagnosis and intervention in certain problems related to mental health.
A primary and also characteristic aspect of general health psychology that we cannot forget is the emphasis it places on both health promotion and prevention. In this sense, some people can dedicate themselves to researching these factors after having completed their training.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that, with this qualification, professionals receive health authorization that allows them to work in the field of health as long as it is outside of public health – which can only be accessed through the PIR route. — .
In order to access the training that accredits us as healthcare personnel, it is necessary to have completed a Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology online or in person. To do this, it is essential to have completed the Degree in Psychology.
Once you have both qualifications, you can proceed to registration – it is possible to register at the end of the Degree or even in the last years in some countries – and, subsequently, start in the world of work. In some places, health registration is required to be able to practice.
Since psychology is a living and constantly evolving science, with a large number of different contributions, It is interesting that professionals stay updated and in constant training. In fact, in some countries, this is mandatory in order to keep the license current.
The Labor Demand of General Health Psychologists in Spain
In recent years, the demand for general health psychologists in Spain has experienced a notable increase, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of mental health. This increase in demand has been driven by several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, stress related to modern life, and the reduction in stigma associated with seeking psychological help.
During 2022, Psychologists were one of the most requested professional groups in Spain, with an increase of 18% compared to the previous year. This trend has continued in 2023, especially among young people between 18 and 25 years old, who represent the demographic group with the highest frequency of visits to these professionals. Overall, demand for mental health services has grown by 37.2% since 2021, reflecting a greater need for psychological care in the Spanish population.
The lack of sufficient clinical and general health psychologists in the National Health System (SNS) has led various organizations, such as the General Council of Psychology and the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), to request an increase in positions. training and hiring of these professionals. Compared to other countries in the European Union, Spain has a significantly lower proportion of health psychologists per inhabitant. which indicates a great opportunity for the expansion of this profession.
As it is a year and a half university training in which theoretical knowledge is combined with work practice experiences, there are many skills that professionals acquire in various areas related to psychology and their work performance. Below they are briefly mentioned classified by groups.
Interpersonal skills
At this point, aspects such as communication could be highlighted—both with peers and other professionals, as the development of effective communication techniques for patients s—, the development of teamwork skills and, above all, empathy. All of this, without a doubt, is crucial when establishing a good therapeutic relationship.
Clinical competencies
Aspects are highlighted such as the collection of the most relevant information, the formulation of hypotheses about the problems that the person suffers, the development of the functional analysis of the case taking into account the necessary knowledge about psychopathology of human behavior disorders in combination with the factors biological and social.
In short, we would talk about the ability to carry out a good evaluation, interpretation of the results to establish an appropriate diagnosis and devise a treatment and intervention plan adjusting the knowledge and tools to the needs of each case.
Research skills
Since psychology is a health science, it is necessary that the professions dedicated to it know and understand the research methodology that is carried out. This allows us to understand and appropriately apply what scientific evidence is revealing.
Ethical and legal competencies
At this point, factors as basic and essential as professional ethics come into play—which include the duties and obligations of each psychologist—and knowledge, as well as compliance, with the legal regulations that have been established.
It is important to develop personal and professional tools that allow you to deal with various cases at the same time with their evaluation, monitoring, treatment, supervision sessions, etc. Furthermore, it is important to know the basic activities to manage, if necessary, a company with its needs and obligations.
Work areas and job opportunities
As we have mentioned, general health psychology is limited to the development of its activity in the private sphere. In this sense, The job offer covers a wide range of opportunities. Just some of them are mentioned below:
The advantages of taking this master’s degree online
Fortunately, as the Internet has been technologically consolidated and the population has incorporated it into their daily lives, new possibilities for online training have been opening up to the public.
In the case of General Health Psychology, this implies that it is currently possible to study this Master’s degree remotely, which allows you to enjoy many advantages. Among them, the easy access to this professional specialization even for people who live far from university faculties, or with mobility problems as well as a greater ability to include study in the schedule of those who are working.
For this reason, among other reasons, the online Master in General Health Psychology from the European University is one of the most interesting options if you want to specialize as a psychotherapist. Thanks to its blended hybrid format, it allows you to obtain enabling training by combining the convenience of online learning with the quality of help and supervision from a highly experienced teaching team.
