Understanding the effect of psychological factors is vital for effective treatment delivery, and patient education is an essential element of nursing practice. This essay will examine the consequences of numerous psychological aspects on both patients and medical professionals in the context of patient education
There are many psychological factors that affect healthcare professionals, such as stress and burnout, attitudes, workspace culture, the well-being of one emotion, brainbiases and compassion fatigue. This factor could affect patient education if not looked into. For example,high stress could lead to burnout, causing the healthcare provider to effectively engage in patient sessions Leineweber et al. (2019). Compassion fatigue results in wrong information conveyed during patient sessions. Furthermore, attitudes in healthcare providers lead to biases about specific illnesses, impacting patients’ understanding. Also, when healthcare providers get an excellent workspace with a supportive culture, it leads to effective engagements in patient education sessions. Additionally, emotional well-being can improve the quality of information passed. Lastly, the healthcare providers with cognitive biases lead to incomplete comprehension by patients.
Social support, cultural beliefs, socioeconomic status, and mental health are psychological factors that affect the patients. These factors influence the patient’s education. According to Marçon, C. R., & Maia, M. (2019), anxiety and depression are two mental health issues that can make it difficult for patients to stay motivated to follow treatment regimens and practice self-care. Moreover, patients coming from poor backgrounds may have limited access to healthcare resources, affecting their education; also, diverse cultural beliefs influence how medical advice is perceived, and patients who lack social support have difficulties following treatment plans.
A very constant inclinations and preferences of an individual in many situations is known as a personality style(Blatný, 2016). Self-perception, or how individuals view themselves, plays a vital role in shaping behaviour. These styles influence how people respond to challenges and stressors. Health professionals employ various approaches to help patients suffering from unhealthy personality styles by incorporating person-centred care, altering communication strategies, applying behavioural interventions, integrating cognitive-behavioural techniques, and offering tools to offer aid.
According to Kramer (2017), patients respond to their condition in phases: denial and shock, rage and frustration, bargaining and information seeking, acceptance and despair, and coping and adaptability. They may experience shock and denial at first to prevent them from embracing their diagnosis, then frustration and rage as they deal with the turmoil brought on by sickness. Patients bargain with fate, look for treatments, and seek knowledge to comfort them. During stages of depression and acceptance, reality comes, leading to contemplation and gloom. Through support networks, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose, patients eventually learn to live with and conquer their illnesses.
The health professionals’ role in patient education changes in different life stages, from childhood to old age (Feng et al., 2021). From childhood, they guide on immunization and newborn care; they also teach about healthy habits and talk about development milestones. During adolescence, they emphasized mental well-being and sexual health, promoting healthy behaviours and addressing sensitive topics like substance abuse. In adulthood, education may centre on chronic illness management and preventive care. In older adults, Planning for end-of-life care, encouraging independence, and coping with changes associated with age becomes essential.
According to Hart et al. (2020), families have a vital duty in patient education. They offer inspiration, support and knowledge. Encouraging modification of lifestyles Monitoring medicine, encouraging lifestyle modifications, and enforcing therapy impact compliance. Explanations that are clear, problem-solving, and including them in patient care decisions are all parts of effective communication. By working as one, recognizing and offering resources, healthcare providers increase family interactions.
In conclusion, the family’s role in influencing patient compliance is significant. Good communication and unity with the patient affect the patient’s safety, results and view of quality. Healthcare professionals can ally with the family, focus on open communication, and involve them in the treatment decision. This approach promotes adherence to treatment plans.
Reference
Leineweber, C., Marklund, S., Aronsson, G., & Gustafsson, K. (2019). Work-related psychosocial risk factors and risk of disability pension among health and personal care employees: A prospective cohort study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 93, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.10.009
Marçon, C. R., & Maia, M. (2019). Albinism: epidemiology, genetics, cutaneous characterization, psychosocial factors. Anais brasileiros de dermatologia, 94, 503-520.
Kramer, U. (2017). Personality, personality disorders, and the process of change. Psychotherapy Research, 29(3), 324–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2017.1377358
Blatný, M. (2016). Personality and well-being across the Life-Span. Springer.
Feng, Y. Y., Chaves, G., Shi, W., Pakosh, M., Zhang, L., Gallagher, R., Oh, P., & De Melo Ghisi, G. L. (2021). Education interventions in Chinese cardiac patients on health behaviours, disease-related knowledge, and health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Patient Education and Counseling, 104(5), 1018–1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.12.001
Hart, J. L., Turnbull, A. E., Oppenheim, I. M., & Courtright, K. R. (2020). Family-Centered care during the COVID-19 era. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60(2), e93–e97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.04.017