Careers and stakeholders


Psychologist in healthcare
Job function
Graduates in Psychology in Healthcare will be equipped to work as experts in the following areas:
- promotion and maintenance of mental and organ health, illness prevention and rehabilitation;
- prevention of maladaptive and disease-prone behaviours within social, local and healthcare settings;
- promotion of psycho-emotional well-being and prevention of distress in healthcare professionals who have to witness chronic pain and death in the workplace;
- promotion of communication and decision-making strategies applicable to interactions between healthcare professionals and patients; optimisation of healthcare efficiency and public spending.


Professional skills
Psychologists in healthcare can plan interventions aimed at:
- promoting lifelong health maintenance, recovery from illness and the prevention of maladaptive behaviours within social, local and health settings;
- promoting an integrated treatment of mental and organic diseases;
- improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients;
- supporting decision-making in healthcare settings at different levels (e.g. in terms of the organisation and management of processes, within multidisciplinary teams, in doctor-patient relations, as well as decision-making in individual patients);
- fostering adherence to treatment and promoting healthy behaviours, also in the presence of illness or risk factors.

Employment opportunities
Psychologists in healthcare can work:
- for public/affiliated healthcare facilities (e.g. primary care units, multidisciplinary health centres) and private healthcare facilities (e.g. cooperatives, non-profit health organisations, patients and/or families associations) where holding a Master?s degree is a sufficient condition for being hired;
- in community services (case di comunità);
- for local health authorities;
- as freelance professionals;
- for schools and training institutions;
- in human resource management.

Graduates will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to pursue higher studies, like PhD programmes, second-level vocational masters or postgraduate schools.

Employment statistics (Almalaurea)
Milano vecchi e nuovi edifici
Stakeholders

The programme interacts with local, national and international stakeholders, such as professional organizations, manufacturing companies and service providers.