Psychosocial Assesment

By C Settley

Outcomes

• Student should explore different theoretical approaches for their usefulness in explaining and contributing towards an understanding of psychological development in a variety of contexts

• Student should describe behavioural approaches with reference to their key concepts, key theorists, and perceived usefulness in providing explanations of human behaviour.

• Student should describe psycho-dynamic approaches with reference to their key concepts, key theorists, and perceived usefulness in providing explanations of human behaviour

• Student should describe developmental approaches with reference to their key concepts, key theorists, and perceived usefulness in providing explanations of human behaviour.

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Outcomes

• Student should describe neurological approaches with reference to their key concepts, key theorists, and perceived usefulness in providing explanations of human behaviour.

• Student should describe humanist approaches with reference to their key concepts, key theorists, and perceived usefulness in providing explanations of human behaviour.

• Describe social psychological approaches with reference to their key concepts, key theorists, and perceived usefulness in providing explanations of human behaviour.

Outcomes

• Identify pathologies in terms of specific definitions of the norm and deviations from the norm as expressed in appropriate psychological theories.

• Plan interventions consistent with the theoretical framework used to develop an understanding of the underlying factors of a psychological condition.

• Demonstrate understanding of psychological development and theories assisting in decision making with respect to patient care and in helping patients to cope effectively with the fear of the unknown.

• Student should identify limitations of own competence and refer patients to other health professionals at appropriate stages in health care delivery

Psychological Adaptationto the stress of Physical Illness

• Psychosocial adaptation process is more complex and less understood of the two modes of adaptation

• No two human beings responds emotionally the same way to the same event

• This in in contrast to physiological adaptation, which is observable and more predictable

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• Psychosocial adaptation after a major illness depends on the following factors:

• 1) Social History

• This includes information about a patient’s lifestyle and availability of persons who can support him emotionally during a difficult event

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 2) Level of stress during the year before admission

• This factor assesses the patient’s current life situation, which includes the major stressors he/she has experienced during

the past year

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 3) Normal coping pattern

• People respond to difficult times in certain ways. When asked, most patients can describe what they normally do to cope when they have a serious problem or are experiencing high levels of stress.

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 4) Neurovegative Changes

• These are signs of differences in a person’s normal psychophysiological functions. They include changes in sleep patterns, appetite, bowel functioning, energy levels and sexual functioning.

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 5) Patient’s understanding of illness

• Does the patient fully understand what is now happening and will it continue to happen to him/her as a result of his /her illness? How threatening is this illness to this patient?

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 6) Mental Status

• Is there any evidence of emotional, intellectual or perceptual dysfunctioning at this time?

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 7) Personality style

• This is the way a person normally interacts socially with others. Sometimes someone's personality style causes problems in his ability to adapt to hospitalisation and care givers and to his illness.

Psychosocial Assessment Factors

• 8) Major issues of illness

• Illness can cause many types of psychosocial stress for the patient and his family. These include disruptions in his ability to trust, maintain self- esteem, retain a sense of control, tolerate a major loss,

avoid feelings of guilt and maintain intimacy in his close relationships.

Psychosocial Assessment as the basis of the Nursing Process

• By using the 8 psychosocial assessment factors, nurses should be able to predict with a good level of accuracy whether a patient will be able to adapt to a sudden change in health status.

• If one or more of the indicators points out a potential problem, the nurse can observe the responses closely.

Psychosocial Assessment as the basis of the Nursing Process

• The nurse can then immediately provide stronger supportive care.

• The nurse is not able to make the person cope.

• Rather, when the nurse provides external emotional support, it facilitates the person’s own internal coping ability to return to normal.

References

• Social Science Reader 2014