Content

This course aims to deepen your understanding of the psychosocial aspects of cardiovascular disease. It explores the development of mental illness in the context of cardiovascular conditions, as well as psychological treatment approaches within this setting. A central focus is risk factor management, which poses a major challenge in both primary and secondary prevention and is largely driven by behavioural factors. Accordingly, the course introduces and discusses several models of behaviour change. Particular attention is also given to cardiac conditions that present specific behavioural challenges. Finally, the course addresses inequalities in cardiovascular risk factors and cardiac rehabilitation, including disparities related to sex, socioeconomic status, and mental health.

This course is a free‑standing course that can be taken as an elective within programmes related to behaviour and health, as well as serving as continuing, life‑long learning for professionals in medicine, caring science, public health, physiotherapy, and psychology.

Outline for distance course: The course is delivered online via Zoom, the ELS Studium (Canvas) and e-mail. Communication between students and teachers will be done via these platforms.

The course includes two to three hours of lectures one to two times per week, with mandatory attendance. In addition, students participate in mandatory supervised group work. Examination is based on a written online assignment, active participation in mandatory seminars with written reflections after each seminar, and a group assignment.

 To participate in this distance course, you need access to a computer with an internet connection, as well as a web camera and a headset (with microphone). This is important!

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

• explain the relationship between the autonomic nervous system, mental health and the cardiovascular system, and how this is reflected for example in heart rate variability,
• explain theories that describe the mutual relationship between cardiovascular disease and psychological factors,
• describe psychological theories and methods for behaviour change and to improve psychological wellbeing that can be used with people with cardiovascular disease.

Skills and abilities

• discuss behaviour change theories and behaviour change techniques of relevance to people with cardiovascular disease,
• perform a basic behavioural analysis and apply methods to influence motivation and behavioural change in people with cardiovascular disease
• discuss inequalities in health care that affect people with cardiovascular disease, and ways to reduce these inequalities.

Judgement and approach

• critically review scientific articles dealing with psychological interventions for people with cardiovascular disease,
• demonstrate an empathic and accepting conversational approach that can enhance motivation.

Programme

The teaching takes place online with lectures, seminars and group exercises via Zoom, a video conference system. Students are expected to read literature and take part in other material, such as video lectures, assigned via Uppsala Universities' learning platform Studium (Canvas) before each seminar. All lectures, seminars and group exercises are mandatory.

Assessment

Grading system: Fail (U), Pass (G)

Students are assessed through a written examination and a group project in which they identify and review literature on the use of psychological interventions for individuals with cardiovascular disease, and present their findings both orally and in writing.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may decide to deviate from the specified examination format and allow an alternative form of assessment. Such special reasons may include documented recommendations for pedagogical support issued by the University’s disability coordinator.

Lecturers

Among others:

• Erik Olsson, Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor at Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University
• Fredrika Norlund, Affiliated Researcher at Department of Women's and Children's Health, Cardiovascular Psychology, Uppsala University
• Els Clays, Associate professor, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University
• Molly Byrne, Professor of Health Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Galway
• Josefin Särnholm, Lecturer, Karolinska Institutet

Course dates

Online: 28 Sep – 4 Dec 2026

Entry requirements: At least 120 ECTS in medicine, caring science, psychology or another health-related science, widely defined.

Students from all ENLIGHT partner universities are eligible to participate. Students will be selected at each of these universities separately. Students interested in the course need to apply via their home university. They should contact their faculty or programme to verify whether it can fit in their curriculum and to ensure academic recognition of the credits obtained. The home university will select the permitted number of students, inform the students as soon as possible, and then send these names to the host institution. Unsuccessful students will be placed on a waiting list and may get a place, if other universities do not use all their allocated places.

Please select your home university below and contact your ENLIGHT coordinator for further information on the application process or consult the linked information.

• University of the Basque Country: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• University of Bern: Application instructions for students at the University of Bern
• University of Bordeaux: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Comenius University Bratislava: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• University of Galway: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Ghent University:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (see information about BIP's)
• University of Groningen: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• University of Göttingen:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (for BIP’s) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (other courses)
• University of Tartu: Application instructions for students at the University of Tartu
• Uppsala University: Application instructions for students at Uppsala University.

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