Italy is only eighth in Europe for funds allocated to prevention (almost 7% of total health spending), preceded by Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Our country drops to tenth position when the percentage is transformed into actual figures spent (193.26 euros for each inhabitant in 2021, compared to the EU average of 213.18). The consequence is a real boom in incorrect lifestyles in our country. This is what emerged today during the presentation of the new three-year degree course in Psychological Sciences for Prevention and Treatment, established in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the State University of Milan: over 1,600 requests to participate in the entrance test, a front of 100 seats available.
24% of the population smokes, 33% are overweight (10% obese) and 28% are completely sedentary – it was reiterated at the press conference – Bad habits that determine the development of chronic pathologies, starting from tumors (in 2023 estimated 395,000 new cases, with an increase, in 3 years, of 18,400 diagnoses) and cardiovascular diseases, the main cause of death in our country. On the other hand, the problem of adherence to therapies arises, because it is estimated that only 50% of patients affected by chronic diseases take the drugs correctly: in fact they often follow the doctor’s instructions discontinuously or abandon the treatments after a short period. Psychological interventions must become an integral part of the treatment process. For these reasons, the State University of Milan inaugurates the new three-year degree course, the first experience of this type in Italy.
“The recent Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the important psychological impact produced by every health situation, influencing choices of great social importance – states Marina Brambilla, rector of UniMi – The launch of the new three-year degree course in Psychological Sciences for prevention and treatment is part of a path that already includes a master’s degree, a Master’s degree and a specialization school in the university, and testifies to the commitment of the State University of Milan in meeting an ever-increasing need with a cutting-edge solution. most felt in care contexts, that is, to train professional figures who have the theoretical-practical preparation necessary to integrate into the complex multidisciplinary work required in the management of acute and chronic diseases. This initiative responds to a gap in the national educational panorama and represents a contribution of great value to the innovative development of the health system: a responsibility that the State University, thanks to the centrality of its doctors and researchers in the regional health system, could only welcome and experiment with first”.
“The peculiarity of the new training offer is that it is included in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery – underlines Gianluca Vago, director of the Department of Oncology and Onco-hematology of the University of Milan – Until now, in the national training panorama, a three-year degree course in Psychology that provided basic technical and psychological knowledge with a focus on building future expert professional figures in prevention and treatment paths in the medical area. The progress of research, the improvement of the effectiveness of therapies and the consequent increases in life expectancy are changing the management of care and treatment, placing clinicians faced with chronic diseases that require complex multidisciplinary interventions, in which psychological implications are essential.”
The degree course in Psychological Sciences for Prevention and Treatment “aims to train graduates capable of operating according to integrated models of care, collaborating closely with other professionals, such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, within healthcare facilities, such as hospitals , clinics, community homes, and in local primary care – explains Roberta Ferrucci, professor of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences at UniMi, coordinator of the three-year degree – The course is designed to promote health and psychological well-being, prevent distress and identify it early psychological problems, allowing timely interventions. Our graduates will be prepared to improve patients’ adherence to treatment, quality of life and ensure effective management of chronic diseases”. Specifically, “the teachings include an alternation between lectures, laboratories, seminars – explains Ferrucci – group work, problem-based learning, presentation and discussion of clinical cases, individual study of textbooks and of the materials provided in lessons, discussion with teachers, preparation of the degree thesis. During the course, students will acquire practical skills in diagnosis and therapy, becoming familiar with psychological and neuropsychological tests and digital technologies in the healthcare sector”. In general, the course will examine and deal with all healthcare situations in which the inclusion of psychological skills allows for an increase in the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of care.
“The integration of psychological expertise in clinical contexts is fundamental – concludes Ketti Mazzocco, professor of General Psychology at the University of Milan and coordinator of the master’s degree – The new three-year degree course is a necessary completion of the training offer already present in the State University and aimed at psychologists, characterized by a 2nd level Master’s degree in Psycho-oncology and the master’s degree course in Psychology in Healthcare which is now in its second year. Activities which have allowed the training of psychologists qualified for the profession at the State University specialized in prevention, rehabilitation and treatment according to an integrated approach and the most modern scientific evidence”.
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