The mind-body connection is a concept that has grown in popularity. It highlights the intricate relationship between an individual’s physical health with his or her emotions and psychological state. As medicine begins to understand and accept “the mind-body connection,” there has been a greater integration of biomedicine, mental health services, and alternative or complementary therapies.
Illness can lead to emotional instability and permanent or temporary physical disability. Patients might also experience reduced levels of independence and/or modifications of their roles in family and society. These changes may also have significant effects on family members and caregivers’ lifestyles and quality of life. Chronic exposure to stressors, such as medical treatments, side effects, complications, or hospital admissions, can deplete the internal and external coping resources of a patient and his or her family system.
Medical social workers confront the challenges posed by illness every day. In addressing these concerns, medical social workers focus attention on the impact of illness on patients and families. Through ongoing assessment, they consider how and if this impact might change with the progression of illness, whether positive or negative.
The experience of illness can reach beyond the patient and impact the family system considerably. Patients experience illness through the lenses of their personal emotions, past experiences, stage of life, familial role, social relationships, responsibilities, stressors, and cultural and spiritual beliefs. Other factors, including the nature of the illness and comorbid conditions, also influence how the patient perceives illness. Together, these factors impact how and whether patients seek care, utilize health resources, and receive and adhere to treatment—all of which eventually impact the outcome of the illness.
This week’s resources cite multiple studies that explain the complex and multidirectional connection between physical illness, mental illness, and social support. For example, chronic physical illness may cause mental distress. On the other hand, mental illness can lead to deteriorating physical health, an acute medical crisis, or poor overall health outcomes. The social environment can also impact health as we learned in previous modules when studying social determinants of health. Given the connection between physical illness, mental illness, and the social environment; it is common to find health care teams that include physicians, mental health professionals, and medical social workers as well as the patient and their family. The combination of these parties provides patients with well-rounded care that emphasizes the whole person.
At all stages of illness, medical social workers must assess the presence and severity of psychiatric symptoms in the face of physical illness. For instance, although the exact mechanism is unknown, studies show that diabetes and depression might be linked (National Institutes of Health, 2011). The everyday stress of managing diabetes may contribute to the development of depression. At the same time, depression may reduce overall physical and mental health, making diabetes symptoms worse. Either way, in the presence of these symptoms, medical social workers need to understand the root of the symptoms. In the absence of psychiatric symptoms, medical social workers need to consider whether and to what extent patients might be susceptible to mental health issues. Completing an ongoing assessment of patients’ mental health status can inform and support medical social work interventions. to the class as if you are presenting training to your team on the mind-body connection as well as how trauma can impact the health and mental health of patients. In the essay you will address your audience with salutations such as “Welcome classmates and instructors, today this training is focused on…” Then you will proceed to your training discussion outlining the information based on the following prompts:1). Provide an explanation of the importance of assessing mental health status when a patient has a chronic physical illness. 2). Provide a descriiption of the two psychological/emotional responses to illness experienced by patients and how these can influence health outcomes. 3). Explain how dealing with the effects of chronic illness can be traumatic for the patient and how this can complicate symptoms of health and mental health; 4). Provide an explanation of two social factors and how they can influence health. 5). Discuss how complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) can be helpful when working with clients with chronic health or mental health conditions (be specific by identifying a specific condition [health or mental health condition or symptom] and then discuss how the CAM could be helpful to improve the condition or symptom of the condition.
