Community/Health Psychology is a rapidly growing discipline of psychology that is primarily directed towards the relationship of the individual and community. It is dynamic in the sense that it is action-oriented and is recognized by American Psychological Association (i.e., Society for Community Research and Action (Div. 27) Community/Health Psychology provides students with information relative to the theories and research that is relevant between people and their environment. This course facilitates psychological competence and empowerment and provides information relative to prevention and social change. Community/Health Psychology addresses important social issues that impact individual development and community topics that are relevant to the topics of prevention, promotion, stress and coping and resilience. Community/Health Psychology and Applied Social Psychology are both programs that are similar in the sense that they provide dynamic courses that seek to better understand social-psychological processes between people and the environment. Special topics of interest within the concentration of Community/Health Psychology include person-environment interactions and the ways society impacts upon individual and community functioning, ecological systems and toxic environments, stress, resiliency and interventions within the community, and empowering individuals within the community.
Community psychologists recognize that both individual psychological and physiological well-being is a function of how communities provide opportunities for growth and development. Pathology and illness are not viewed from the traditional medical model but rather as failures from the community system itself. The community psychologist works collaboratively with both the individual and the sociopolitical systems in identifying skills and aptitudes that contribute to the health and well-being of community members. he goals of the community psychologist includes improving the overall psychological and physical well-being of individuals residing within the community with unique and innovative interventions. Training in community psychology emphasizes prevention and health promotion and facilitating wellness by building on strengths and enhancing competencies. Community psychology has a strong social change orientation with an emphasis on identifying and eliminating oppression and increasing social justice. Training equips students with skills useful in coping with multifaceted problems facing communities. Students are also educated on how to conduct community research and intervention in a pluralistic society. Students become aware of the contemporary community needs and how both qualitative and quantitative techniques can be employed to address complex social problems.
For more information, please see Community Psychology in Eye on Psy Chi and the Degree Overview at the Idealist.org
