EHPS National Delegate

"Health psychology appeared in Bulgaria in the very beginning of 21st century. It was recognized as a separate discipline when in 2000 a course in health psychology was introduced in the curriculum (at bachelor’s level) in the biggest university in the country Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Also in 2000 the Health Psychology Research Center (HPRC), an independent research organization, was founded and started research in the area of health psychology, as well as health promotion activities.

Health psychology’s institutionalization at a national level took place at the triennial National Congress of Bulgarian Psychologists in 2008, when for the first time a separate scientific session was devoted to health psychology. In 2010, the Department of Psychology at the Institute for Population and Human Studies – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, also recognized health psychology as a main area of its research by forming a Section “Developmental and Health Psychology”. In 2010, a doctoral program in health psychology was established at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and in 2015 a master program in health psychology was also introduced. Health Psychology is represented at the national level by the Section of Health and Counseling Psychology at the Bulgarian Psychological Society, founded on June 5, 2020."

"Section of Health and Counseling Psychology at the Bulgarian Psychological Society
The aims of the Section of Health and Counselling Psychology are:
• developing and implementation of high standards for research and practice in the field of health psychology,
• exchange of experience and good practices in the field of education, theory and practice of health and counseling psychology,
• continuing education, training, individual and group supervision of young psychologists working in organizations, institutions, administrative structures,
• consulting medical teams, teams of social workers, pedagogues, and other specialists on specific cases, as well as on the development and implementation of programs related to health education, health promotion and disease prevention, and raising awareness on public health issues,
• partnership of state institutions and non-governmental organizations on all problems and challenges that lifestyle puts on the agenda for finding adaptive solutions at individual, group, and public level,
• participation in the development and implementation of national and international research and applied projects, development of the scientific field of health and counseling psychology,
• including specialists in the field of health psychology who are currently not members of the Society, promoting the Section’s activities in the psychological community and among a wider range of specialists,
• organizing Section meetings and activities.

The Bulgarian Psychological Society organizes the triennial National Congress of Bulgarian Psychologists. Since 2008, the Congress has always included a section in Health Psychology."

No information

Education in Health Psychology at the master and doctoral level is currently available only at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". Health Psychology is taught as a discipline at various Bulgarian universities.

No information