EHPS National Delegate
Support the EHPS to deliver its aim of helping individuals, families, and societies to better cope with life challenges related to illness and health, by promoting rigorous science, health promotion interventions, and close collaborations.
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Croatia
Alessandra Pokrajac Bulian
Health psychology in Croatia is very well represented in the higher education system, in research and to somewhat lesser extent in practice – both in health system and other areas of psychological work. In all, there are about 300 both clinical and health psychologists employed in Croatia, with majority of clinical psychologists occasionally providing health psychology services. In 2019, the Law on Health Care in Croatia, was changed, acknowledging and regulating the status of psychologists employed in the public health care system, in different fields of health practice, as the health care professionals. Although this applies primarily to clinical psychologists, in Croatia there is still no clear formal distinction between the clinical and health psychologist’s employment positions.
This status change ensures to psychologists in health care more equal work rights and opportunities to all other health professionals.
Croatian journal in the field: The Journal of Applied Health Sciences, continues to be published, in print and open access online versions: https://doi.org/10.24141/1. This journal has the international editorial board, it is peer reviewed, and is publishing original research, theoretical and methodological scientific and professional papers from all areas of health sciences, in Croatian and in English language. More about it at: http://jahs.eu/about/ . The courses in health psychology are taught to students of psychology, at all levels – undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and doctoral. Also, health psychology is taught at higher education institutions to applied health sciences students (since 1986), in undergraduate and graduate (masters`) programs. The first text book on health psychology in Croatian language has been published in 1987 (Havelka, M. Health Psychology. Zagreb: Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb.)
The Croatian Psychological Association, Division of Health Psychology (since 1992). More at: www.psihologija.hr or at: http://www.psihologija.hr/strucne-sekcije/sekcija-za-zdravstvenu-psihologiju.html
Croatian Psychological Chamber, Division of Clinical and Health Psychology http://www.psiholoska-komora.hr
In Croatia, the bachelor and master studies of psychology exists at one private and five state universities: Zagreb (3 programs), Zadar, Rijeka, Osijek and Split. Doctoral program in Psychology exists at the universities of Zagreb and Rijeka. Postgraduate programs exist: at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Rijeka, Postgraduate Specialization in Psychological Counselling (120 ECTS), offering several health psychology courses, more at: https://ffri.uniri.hr/studiranje/studijski-programi/specijalisticki-studiji/poslijediplomski-specijalisticki-studij-psiholosko-savjetovanje/; at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, Postgraduate Specialization in Clinical Psychology (136 ECTS) contains the module on Prevention, offering several health psychology courses (22 ECTS), more at: https://specklin.ffzg.unizg.hr/. Also, health psychology is taught at higher education institutions to applied health sciences students (since 1986), in undergraduate and graduate (masters`) programs. There are many Continuing Education courses and training seminars, offered mainly by the Croatian Psychological Association, Division of Health Psychology and also by other organisations (NGOs, universities etc.)
The Croatian Science Foundation, at: https://hrzz.hr/en/, also by several private foundations, universities, ministries, etc.
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