European psychology conference

Tuesday 4 September 2001

Themes such as ‘Children surviving Cancer’, ‘Scottish female dentists are under-paid and overworked’, ‘Smoking and cervical Cancer’, ‘Writing letters can save lives’ and ‘Does your job affect your diet? will be explored when 500 of the most eminent Psychologists come together in St Andrews this week (5th to 8th September, 2001).

The University of St Andrews is hosting the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference, one of the largest international Psychology conferences ever held in this country.

Run jointly for the first time by the Society’s Division of Health Psychology and the European Health Psychology Society, it will feature experts from the UK, Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand.

The theme of the conference, beginning today (Wednesday 5th September, 2001), is ‘Changing Behaviour: Health and Healthcare’ and presentations at the conference will describe methods of improving health, healthcare and quality of life. Over 700 papers will be presented by speakers from as far afield as Ukraine, Portugal, Japan and Canada.

This is the second year St Andrews has been chosen as a host for the Conference, and one of the six keynote speakers is the University’s Professor David Perrett.

Professor Marie Johnson and Professor Derek Johnson of the University’s School of Psychology are Conference Presidents this year. Marie has strong connections with both Societies involved – she was the founder Chair of the UK Health Psychology organisation within the British Psychological Society and President of the European Health Psychology Society from 1992 to 1996.

She said: “We are very pleased to be hosting ‘Health Psychology 2001’ at the University of St Andrews. It is exciting to be hosting the first joint conference of its kind in the year of the centenary of the BPS. This is also an important year for Health Psychology in the UK as the BPS has just introduced a professional qualification.”

“It is also highly appropriate that this conference should be in St Andrews at this stage in our School of Psychology’s research and teaching and at such an important time in the development of the discipline of Health Psychology.”

Health Psychology is the branch of Psychology which looks at how people’s behaviour and their beliefs and feelings may influence how healthy they are, what happens when they seek healthcare and how they respond when they are ill.

It is a key research area for Psychologists at St Andrews who investigate stress or exercise as possible influences on health as well as how individuals respond when they have a heart attack, a stroke or other conditions which may affect their quality of life.

Further information on the conference is available at http://www.st- andrews.ac.uk/academic/psychology/e vents/health2001.html

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS:

There will be a Conference Press Office in operation between 4th and 8th September. Contact Dr Hillary Bekker or Dr Daryl O’Connor on 01334 463130 or 01334 462168 for more information about each session.

 

Issued by Beattie Media On behalf of the University of St Andrews Contact Gayle Cook on 01334 467227, mobile 07900 050103, or email [email protected]

View the latest University news at http://www.st- andrews.ac.uk/extrel/press.htm

 


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