Discuss psychology’s involvement in health by identifying three current problems in the health care systems. Include current research with examples. For instance private health care or affordable health care.
Below is a Sample Solution.
Remember! This is just a sample. You can get a custom paper from one of our expert writers.
Psychology contributes significantly to different facets of healthcare, particularly in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. In primary prevention, psychology emphasizes health promotion and reducing risk factors of illness. Examples are specific behavior modifications to improve diet and exercise. Secondary prevention targets specifically those who have higher predisposition to negative health outcomes, because of biological, cultural, social, and environmental factors. For example, mother-infant programs of those with congenital/genetic disorders, involve psychoeducation and interventions which enhance pediatric family support systems. This is especially important as illness often affects the family wellbeing, such as additional stress or anxiety. Another example is carrying out cognitive-stress management programs for those with high risk of coronary heart disease. Tertiary prevention are for those who are living with illness, which mainly involves alleviating experienced suffering as well as reducing residual/secondary effects. Specific examples are carrying out cognitive therapies, such as CBT, to help those with terminal diseases cope better and improve life satisfaction. These three pose particular problems to the already congested, strained, and inaccessible healthcare systems, and which psychology plays an intermediary role as an allied health professional.
In answering your question, I mainly used personal insight in a public healthcare setting as informed by the following health-medical psychology research:
Brown, R., Freeman, W., Brown, R., Belar, C., Hersch, L., Hornyak, L., Rickel, A., Rozensky, R., Sheridan, E., and Reed, G. (2002). The role of psychology in health care delivery. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, 536-545. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.6.536.