Characteristics of Successful College Students Essay

Health Psychology is a specialty that focuses on how different biological, psychological, social and behavioral factors influence the recovery of ones health and illnesses. The committee has set forth five specialists to collaborate on the study of the illness and to give specialized treatment in each area of recovery while dealing with such situations. (Cherry, 2000, p. 1) Each case is a specialized issue requiring treatment of each of the five different areas of Psychology input and or treatment. The five areas include a Psychologist that will work on specific issues that pertain to their area of study and or profession. The five Psychologist will include a Substance abuse counselor; Inpatient-only Psychologist; Child Psychologist; Adult Psychologist and finally a Rehabilitation Psychologist to focus on the after care portion of the recovery process. In the substance abuse counselor role, the abuse counselor will collaborate and coordinate the use of recovery programs and structured programs for substance abuse in conjunction with a social worker to aid in the assessment and to develop a plan of recovery for our patients. In this area the psychologist will clarify the frequency and duration of substance use if any and confirm the substance abuse pattern of the patient. The substance abuse counselor will also determine the severity of substance related problems in the last 12 months. The counselor will then determine if there was ever any substance abuse treatment history and review any medications and medical conditions of the patients. Once this process is complete the substance abuse counselor will do an in depth assessment, complete a family interview and give specialized treatment diagnosis, followed by continued therapy to prevent relapse of substance abuse. The substance abuse counselor will then forward necessary information about the patient to the Inpatient-only Psychologist. The Inpatient-only Psychologist will then Diagnose stress disorders and aid in stress-relief interventions, and utilize various methods to facilitate adjustment and coping skills with patients suffering a chronic or terminal illness. The inpatient-only psychologist will also contribute to improving in patient health by helping the patient and his or her families learn coping methods to deal with their illness. Providing specific inpatient therapies and services to the patients admitted to the hospital is a necessary portion of the recovery process for the patients. Many patients have been admitted into the hospital because they lack certain self-help skills and will to kick their habit. Being an inpatient will also help the individual and their family members by giving family therapy sessions and individual therapy sessions to the patients. Once the sessions are complete the individual will be referred to specific support groups if they choose to participate in this portion of the treatment process. In addition, the role of the inpatient-only psychologist will also give support to the improvement and the maintenance of the patient’s recovery by helping the patients adjust to their illness and help them learn to maintain their usual lifestyle. The Inpatient-only Psychologist will then forward necessary document to continue treatment with a Child Psychologist for child patients, and an Adult Psychologist for adult patients. The Child Psychologist will provide psychological preparation methods for children prior to medical procedures, and Collaborate with local schools. The child psychologist will also give insight to children and families on how to prepare for hospitalization if needed. The need for such preparation is a prediction on the belief that hospitalizations and surgery are traumatic, anxiety-producing experiences for children and their families, which can lead to long-term psychological disturbances. (Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 1976, p.226-30) Various methods will be used to provide the child and his or her family with information about the hospital and the procedure or operation. If needed a nurse or social worker will be provided to visit the child at home before he or she comes to the hospital. The nurse will be able to answer and questions the child and his or her family may have about the hospital and the procedure that will follow. If necessary the nurse and or child psychologist will provide a pamphlet explaining the forth-coming hospitalization and surgery, which they can read to the child before he or she comes to the hospital. Lastly if necessary the child psychologist can set up visits for the child to be able to visit the hospital prior to admission to become familiar with the setting and the hospital staff to get another form of comfort. Pharmaceutical treatment methods are going to be necessary in this case. Pharmaceutical treatment methods will provide the child with things such as antidepressants, muscle relaxes and anti-inflammatory medications to help control some of the symptoms they are experiencing after surgery is complete. Behavioral and cognitive treatment methods are also necessary to give the child other options than drugs to treat some of the mental issues in dealing with life after surgery. The patient may need to consult with a psychologist and other health care professional to deal with chronic symptoms. In looking at treatment methods to cope with pain its good that there are more than one treatment option available. Depending on the pain and the severity of the pain, more than one treatment method may be necessary An Adult Psychologist will provide psychological preparation methods for adults prior to medical procedures and surgery. Various methods will be used to provide the child and his or her family with information about the hospital and the procedure or operation. If needed a nurse or social worker will be provided to visit the child at home before he or she comes to the hospital. The nurse will be able to answer and questions the child and his or her family may have about the hospital and the procedure that will follow. Pharmaceutical treatment methods are going to be necessary in this case as well. Pharmaceutical treatment methods will provide the patient with things such as antidepressants, muscle relaxes and anti-inflammatory medications to help control some of the symptoms they are experiencing after surgery is complete. The Adult Psychologist will help the patient cope to adjustments needed to deal with a chronic or terminal illness. The Adult Psychologist will also help the adult improve adherence to medical regimens. Using such behavioral methods such as tailoring the regimen to make it as compatible with the patients habits and rewarding him or her for following the given regimen can and will help to improve patient compliance. The adult psychologist will also work with the adult patient to focus on understanding how they will react to, cope with and recover from their illness. In looking at treatment methods to cope with pain its good that there are more than one treatment option available. Depending on the pain and the severity of the pain, more than one treatment method may be necessary. Surgical treatment options in my opinion are the option that should be chosen should all else fail. Surgical treatment options will require more extensive after care procedures and needs. This is where the final psychologist comes into play. The final Psychologist that I choose will be a Rehabilitation Psychologist. The Rehabilitation Psychologist will work with the child or adult to get a comprehensive evaluation to assist the rehabilitation team with meeting the patients needs. The rehabilitation psychologist will build a team to assist the patient with cognitive, behavioral, physical, emotional, social and other needs after being released from the hospital. The rehabilitation psychologist will contribute in improvement in overall patient health by helping the patient relate better with their world. The rehabilitation process will be an ongoing process in which the patient will interact with the rehabilitation team to develop a plan for full recovery whether physical, mental, emotional or social therapy is the key aspect. Each of the five psychologists will work together to ensure that the proper care and after care procedures are met for each patient during their inpatient stay at the facility. The psychologist will work together to improve patient stays at the facility and make sure that no page is left unturned, to also ensure one hundred percent recovery rates. Patients and their families will be required to attend group sessions to be able to better develop a plan of care for the patient in the aid to better their chances for recovery. During the process the psychologist will attend weekly meetings to work together to better understand the patients behavioral, physical, and emotional or social needs. Behavioral treatment options can come in many forms. It may come in the form of consulting with a psychologist to discuss issues that are going on. Other options may include group sessions to speak openly about depressive and or other emotional feelings that one is coping with regarding their current well being. Cognitive therapy is a treatment option that focuses on helping patients deal with a specific portion of the problem. With this type of treatment, patients focus on identifying and changing destructive and disturbing thought patterns. Having a portion of all of the listed behavioral treatment options can help with different portions of treatment when it comes to illness such as hospital stays and surgeries. In all of the cases of illnesses more than one treatment option is needed. Having all of the five listed Psychologist will contribute to overall patient health. The substance abuse counselor will contribute to improvement by getting the patient off drugs or give the patient hope and confidence in their current situation. The Inpatient-only psychologist will provide treatment for chronic pain and utilize various methods to facilitate adjustment and coping skills, and also improve in overall patient help by helping the patient cope with the illness. A child psychologist will no only consult with the child prior to the medical procedures and surgery, but will also contribute by preparing the patient adequately for a procedure. And adult psychologist will also consult with the adults prior to the medical procedures and prepare the patient adequately for a procedure. And lastly the rehabilitation psychologist will help adults and children with any physical or mental limitation that occur after and or before surgery buy implementing a daily rehabilitation plan to improve their functionability. With all of the five psychologists working together on a team to contribute to therapy and aftercare treatment there should be 100% patient and family satisfaction. This is to ensure that no treatment desired or needed is overlooked. Each psychologist will assess the information given from the previous to determine they are all on the same track for recovery method for each patient. Each patient will be dealt with individually and will not have a considerable diagnosis without full assessment from each of the five-listed psychologist to ensure they have the proper plan to help promote improvement in overall patient health. References (). Managing and Controlling Clinical Pain. In (pp. 319-342). University of Phoenix American Accreditation Health Care Commission (n. d. ). Retrieved January 14,2010, from www. healthcentral. com American Behavioral Scientist (1994). Challenges for the 21st Century. Special Issue. Retrieved 07/10/10, from www. healthypeople. gov Cherry, K. (2000). What is Health Psychology. Retrieved January 28,2011, from www. about. com Journal of Pediatric Psychology. (1976). Preparation of Children for Hospitalization (Vol. 1 No. 4 ed. ). Missouri: Author.