Tag: Health Psychology

Nursing and the Schools of Psychology

Studying the mind and its corresponding behaviors are the concerns of psychology.  Psychology establishes general assumptions through research; methods that have its own affinity with the study of nursing. Psychology may only be an increment to the nursing profession; but even before its insertion into the nursing course, nurses have already been using psychological techniques in treating their patients. This has been manifested through the schools of thought that psychology employs to its patients. Let us examine a few of these schools of thought that has already found its expression in the nursing field.

The Biological School
The biological matters that compose the human brain have an effect on the human behavior. If a nurse is aware of this, then they will be able to properly manage the patient. The nurse will also be able to keep in mind certain physiological reactions that can be expected from the patient.

 The Behavioral School
As has been said, psychology concerns itself with human behavior. Nurses should be able to determine behavioral patterns from the patient they is handling. If a nurse has the capacity go over the patient’s demeanor, then they has taken the first step towards treating the patient well.

The Cognitive School
Mental processes that manifest through human activity should be part of a nurse’s agenda of concern. As the saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.” If a nurse has a knack for determining peculiar behaviors within his/her patient, then both the nurse and the patient benefit from the professional’s good awareness.

The Social School
Like Psychology, the inclusion of Sociology to the nursing curriculum enables nurses to see attitudes in their patients based on their sociological status. This helps nurses create a complete assessment of their patients’ conditions.

The Psychoanalytic School
Ever since Freud introduced the study of psychoanalysis, it has become a part of every department in every office, including the nursing department. The analysis that goes about it is crucial in giving enough evaluation over a patient.

Psychology and Distance Learning

Psychology is a special form of discipline or study. It basically concerns itself with the mind and its corresponding behavior. It seeks to understand an individual or a group through specific principles with the use of research and some generally accepted theories. An expert in psychology is called a psychologist. Psychologists explore a wide variety of subjects and theories in the course of his duty. Perceptions, emotions, intelligence, motivations, personality, brain functioning and even interpersonal talk are some of the things a psychologist has to deal with in his client.

Most colleges and universities offer Psychology as an integral part of their curriculum. In fact, some courses that don’t primarily concern itself with psychology include it as one of their minor subjects. It is essentially a part of every student’s education. The course also has to keep up with the times. Online schools are a dime a dozen nowadays that you could literally choose from a long list of them with just a press of a key, and, as anticipated, Psychology degrees are also offered.

You might no longer see the need to literally go to a conventional school for you to have that Psychology career. A lot of distance learning institutions are offering this course with modern concepts and technology, along with its affordable entry at times, from enrollment to your monthly tuition. It has become more accessible over the years. You could literally have it everywhere, even at the privacy of your own home. A student of psychology can now study the empirical and deductive methods of psychology as fast as the speed of his internet connection.

The availability of Psychology as a degree online is a breakthrough. It can now easily connect with other sciences that has its recent rise in the internet as well such social sciences, humanities and medicine.

Psychology and Memory

Psychology derives from Greek roots meaning study of the psyche, or soul. It is defined as the study of the mind and behavior. Psychology, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is an academic discipline and an applied science which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific areas.

With Psychology as the study of the mind, it leads us to memory. One function of the mind is to store and remember information. Memory is the sum total of what we remember, and gives us the capability to learn and adapt from previous experiences as well as build relationships.

However, our memory is not perfect or immune to errors. Sometimes we forget things from important to mundane that, one way or another, play such a pervasive and pivotal role in our daily lives. For example, forgetting a friend’s birthday or misplacing an important document.

Daniel L. Schacter, psychologist and memory expert, presented a framework designed to outline the seven major “sins” of memory in his book, “The Seven Sins of Memory.” These seven “sins” are transience, absent-mindedness, blocking, mis-attribution, suggestibility, bias and persistence.

Schacter describes the first three sins as those of omission (the memory is lost). Our memory fades over time, is easily distracted that is why we become absent-minded, and is blocked because we struggle to remember things when we know that we know it in the first place.

The last four sins Schacter describes as the sins of commission (at least some of the memory is there, but it is either wrong or unwanted. Our memory mistakes its source, is influenced by outside factors which triggers false memories, is influence by our current beliefs, and remembers things that we would rather forget.

Although our memory is not perfect, it allows us to adapt and interact in a world full of overwhelming information.

Learning Psychology and its Benefits

Psychology is basically the study of behavior, mental operations and performance of people. It is also the connection of educational, theoretical and applied science.

Students who studied psychology devotedly were able to understand the compound process of the brain that commands the actions of all human. They also have come to realize that they can make use of psychology in understanding the behaviors, situations and everyday life of all the people.

Why Learning Psychology is important?

Basically, there are a lot of reasons why learning psychology is important. Students will have the chance to experience the following:

The ability to understand own behavior

Studying psychology will allow students to understand their own behavior, emotions and ideas. They will also realize that studying the principles of psychology will allow them to assess, evaluate and provide solutions to all unwanted emotional situations.

Enhanced Communication Expertise

Most famous psychologists have discovered that humans are involved in all kinds of communication. Studying psychology will allow students to understand that communication skills can improve the effectiveness of human interaction.

The ability to understand the behavior of other people

According to Heidelburg of University of Ohio, studying psychology enables students to understand the behavior of other people. They will have the ability to read people’s minds and emotions. Understanding human emotions can be hard, but if students can master the principles of psychology, it will be easier to understand human actions. In addition, it can also improve student’s ability to help others in dealing with their dilemmas.

Better Career Ahead

Students who are so devoted in studying psychology have one thing in common. They want to become the best and effective psychologists. They also know that there is an urgent need for more psychologists since there are increasing numbers of individuals with mental disability. Right after mastering all theories and principles of psychology, students will have the chance to prepare themselves in obtaining a certification or license.

Learning the basics of psychology is important because it can be applied and used to countless life experiences.

Relating Psychology to Health

Psychology is not only for people with mental problems or illnesses. Patients with any health conditions may have undergone psychological difficulties, before or during the condition. The behavioral and social factors cause or lead to almost every reason for dying, illness, and disability and directly cause roughly 1 / 2 of deaths every year. Mental and behavioral health care play a substantial role within the prevention, diagnosis and/or management of the 15 main reasons for dying within the United States. These diseases are cancer, pneumonia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Septicemia, hypertension,  chronic lower respiratory system disease, accidents, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, suicide, chronic liver disease, Parkinson’s Disease as well as assault/homicide.

According to some research, psychological distress might have an adverse effect and is capable of doing modifying various options that come with the immune response system. Around 85% of physician visits are suitable for issues that possess a significant psychological and behavioral component, for example chronic ailments. For instance, studies have proven an association between depression and cancer.

Ideas, attitudes, and feelings can accelerate the start of cardiovascular diseases. This leads to the conclusion that most people are experiencing diseases in relation to their mental and psychological health. People with diabetes are two times as likely as people without diabetes to possess serious psychological distress. Depression is prevalent in roughly 20% of cancer patients and could slow down treatment and recovery. Children and care providers of cancer patients might also experience depression.

Supplying mental and behavioral health services included in a health care model greatly increases access for underserved people. A built-in health care approach helps eliminate stigma in addition to increasing the understanding of the psychosocial facets of health. Psychologists play a vital role in integrated health care by helping people modify their behavior to avoid and get over health problems. People in the United States can be more healthy and efficient when psychology is incorporated into primary health care.

Health Psychology Course

The results of the latest studies have demonstrated that most human diseases are caused by patients’ unhealthy lifestyle. For this reason, health psychology is especially popular among postgraduates nowadays. Deciding to continue their studies after getting an undergrad degree in Psychology, students expand their information of the scientist-practitioner approach to healthcare. Researching various issues of health and disease psychology, students may apply their education in practice, creating more effective care plans for their sufferers and impacting their inspiration for getting the medical care services.

Taking a Health Psychology course, postgraduates are allowed to participate in the professionals’ reviews as well as to conduct studies of their own. Deepening their information of innovative research methods, techniques of behavior-change treatments and efficient communication exchange with sufferers, postgraduates enhance their expert abilities and improve the degree of medical care services provided. The forward-thinking viewpoint of the course, putting emphasis on the psychological aspect of medical care, is beneficial for both practitioners and their sufferers.

Career opportunities after finishing a Health Psychology course

  • Health Psychology programs provide postgraduates with substantial theoretical information and develop their practical abilities which could be applied within their profession activity. This is why the degree is an important stage in a person’s professional growth and following profession marketing.
  • The first profession option is a position of a Chartered Health Psychologist, working at management and managing degrees of medical care institutions.
  • Another opportunity is marketing in the area of research. Performing reviews in health-related perspective aimed at preventing diseases or adjusting sufferers to their serious diseases, an individual can contribute to the existing medical information.
  • Completing the course, a person can even fill a place in the government, creating efficient health advertising strategies and playing policy making.