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| NATIONAL DELEGATE
Antanas Gostautas
Head Department of Psychology
Social Sciences Faculty
Vytautas Magnus University
Donelaicio 52
Kaunas-3000 (Lithuania)
e-mail: a.gostautas@smf.vdu.lt
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National associations
| In 2001 Union of Lithuanian Health Psychologist (ULHP) was created with a main task to integrate Health Psychology in health care system, within a registered working status for psychologist under the name of Medical Psychologist. Membership in EHPS and participation in its annual conferences is seen as essential by ULHP. |
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Education, training & professionalisation
The scientific ground of Health Psychology in Lithuania was laid in 1973, within the Laboratory of Medical Psychology in Institute of Cardiology. Complex researches on health concept, psychological-behavioural and social risk factors for CVD were carried out within a framework of international, comprehensive preventive programmes: Kaunas–Roterdam Intervention Study, Multi-factorial Study of Preventions MI and Stroke, MONICA-PSY, CHEWE and others guided by WHO.
This served as a basis to carry out a two years teaching programme for master studies in Health Psychology at Vytautas Magnus University, in 1997. About 300 graduates from this programme obtained a right to work as a generalists the same, as other graduates from 10 different masters level programmes in psychology in Lithuania.
Doctoral degree is notified as Social sciences, psychology, without branches. So, it is difficult to specify weather research and dissertation may be classified as belonging to Health Psychology.
Within six universities in Lithuania Health psychology is taught as a separate discipline.
It is highest need to develop supervised specialized internship of at least 12 months of duration, develop licensing system and so obtain professional status for health psychologist working in Health Care system. |
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Research
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Report 2010/2011
Education, training & professionalization
14 full time and 32 part time students graduated from the master study programme of Health Psychology in Vytautas Magnus University in 2010. 8 students accomplished Health Psychology masters studies and 17- clinical psychology Masters studies in Vilnius University. Vytautas Magnus University Health Psychology Programme coordinating committee was re-elected consisting of 9 people and chaired by Prof. Antanas Gostautas. A revision of Health psychology programme is planned.
Training
Courses on consultation, adequate to Health care aims, for the psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses working in health centres in Lithuania were carried out by NGO of Psychic Initiative and LUHP, grounded by health psychology principles. Some activities were carried out by LUHP in the area of health promotion together with other NGOs. Two ‘‘Snowball‘‘ summer camps, called ‘‘Communication for Health‘‘ were organized for schoolchildren. ”Snowball” project is conituing since 1993.
Practice
In 2010 73 centres of primary health care in Lithuania recruited 76 medical psychologists. Other psychologists are working in psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation departments. Soon, most of the vacancies within health care system will be filled in. So the need for internship and licensing for psychologist working as medical psychologists within health care system is growing.
Research
The third investigation of schoolchildren smoking prevalence within International Project-Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was finalized in 2010 in Lithuania. It is planned to use GYTS framework to measure changes in smoking prevalence in renewed nationwide long term programme for smoking prevention in schools. The coordination activities are held by the Ministry of Health, department of control for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs with involvement of Union of Lithuania health psychologists.
Some focus was held on investigation of health concept and quality of life related to chronic illnesses reflected in publications:
• Gostautas A., Mieziene B., Stakauskaite J., Volkoviene T., Ivinkina E. Self-health assessment and its changes in patients ill with depression or schizophrenia during hospital treatment. Public Health. No. 4 (51) Vilnius,2010. p 80-89. (Lithuanian)
• Gostautas A., Davidoniene O. Suicides in Lithuania. Mental health and broader context. Annual Report of National Health Council.Vilnius,2010, p22-26 (Lithuanian)
• Zasityte E., Lasaite l. Gostautas A. Relations between health - related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and somatic risk factors. Lietuvos endokrinologija T. XIX, No1-3, 2011. p7-18 (Lithuanian)
• Gostautas, Jakaitiene G. Health related quality of life and its changes in patients after joints endoprotezation during hospital rehabilitation. In: Effectiveness of rehabilitation methods and tools. Conf. materials. Kaunas, 2011 (Lithuanian)
A lot of interdisciplinary topics having relation to health psychology were covered by publications in 2010 under other disciplines than health psychology: different branches of psychology, health sciences and biomedicine. Hence, these publications are not reflected in this report.
National association
The Union of Lithuania Health Psychologists ( ULHP) held its main activities seeking professionalization of Health psychologists and integration HP into Health Care system. Discussions with health authorities were held and some articles were published explaining the problem for the medical Community.
• Gostautas A. Integration and professionalization of psychologist. Physicians News No17 (502) J. of the Union of Lithuania physicians, Vilnius, 2010 p11-12 (Lithuanian).
• Gostautas A. Will we have licensed psychologist within health care and mental health care system? Psychiatric News.N.1 (58) J. of Lithuania psychiatrist association. Vilnius, 2010, (Lithuanian)
• Keeping in relation with EHPS, supporting membership and participation in Annual conferences are one of the main activities of ULHP. 8 presentations were brought from Lithuania to Cluj - Napoca. |
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