In this article, we will discuss the psychology of musculoskeletal disorders.
What do you think of when you hear the term "musculoskeletal disorders"?
It says "muscles", so stiff shoulders?
The word "skeletal" means pelvic distortion?
There are many things that come to mind, but the study I'm going to introduce here is a survey of the psychological conditions of musculoskeletal disorders that are believed to affect adults, including rheumatoid arthritis.
It provides hints on what medical professionals should pay attention to. The results of the study provide hints on what medical professionals should pay attention to.
The study
The problem of improving the quality of life of people with musculoskeletal lesions is relevant to modern social activities.However, the situation in Russia is characterized by the presence of a number of problems, including psychological ones.
The purpose of this study was to study the psychological characteristics of people with acquired musculoskeletal disorders and to determine the direction and content of psychological rehabilitation.
The study focused on the characteristics of the emotional and motivational spheres of people with musculoskeletal disorders acquired in adulthood (n = 30), as well as on the scientific approach to rehabilitation research and the main directions of rehabilitation of people with musculoskeletal disorders.
Clinical, psychological, and psychodiagnostic methods were used, along with statistical methods of empirical data analysis.
People with acquired disorders of the musculoskeletal system were found to have lower adaptive capacity, higher levels of neuropsychological stress, lower levels of self-actualization and self-regulation, and less ability to consciously plan activities.
This indicates the main direction of rehabilitation. Personal factors that intensify the signs of maladjustment are isolation and emotional stress when interacting with others.
To provide psychological intervention
What we need to understand is that for people with these disorders, the psychological stress is high because of difficulties in self-realization and self-regulation due to the difficulty in adapting to society.
There may be pain and other distress caused by pain, but it does not seem to be good because the pain can be removed.In such a situation, we have to take action such as referring the patient to a psychotherapist, but what kind of psychotherapy is offered? The following are some examples.
Family therapy
When a person with a musculoskeletal disorder is trying to reintegrate into society, the intervention depends on whether the family can provide psychological support. It depends on the family's ability to provide psychological support.
Social and psychological rehabilitation and program formation
Depending on the client's psychological condition, the goals of the client's social and psychological rehabilitation can be specified and a detailed plan of rehabilitation measures can be formulated.
The objectives of psychological education include
Expand and strengthen self-regulation and self-control skills
Disclosing and realizing internal potentials and abilities
Expand and strengthen communication skills.
Overcome negative emotional states
To increase tolerance of frustration
To increase personal adaptability
・Definition of life goals and interests, formation of positive orientation of a person, formation of life perspective.
The program is designed to achieve the following
Psychological diagnosis and testing
practiced to identify the degree of mental disorders and psychological characteristics of individuals, their rehabilitation potential and prognosis for rehabilitation course.
As psychodiagnostic factors that determine the effectiveness of psychological rehabilitation and readjustment of individuals with musculoskeletal disorders, we use the following as determinants
Subjective assessment of quality of life
Social and psychological adjustment
Interpersonal relationships
Self-regulation and self-control
Dominant emotional states
Personal vitality and worth - Indicators of meaningful domains
Diagnostic data are used not only to construct psychological correction programs, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological care.
Psychological counseling
Aims to form positive attitudes toward psychological correctional work, to form self-awareness and motivation for self-development, to reduce anxiety, to increase confidence in the possibility of achieving positive personal change, and to expand the range of perceptions of motivation.
Diagnostic data are used not only to construct psychological correction programs, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological care.
Psychoprevention
Includes preventive psychological procedures to prevent negative emotional and behavioral symptoms.
Group Psychological Training
Training that presupposes positive psychological interaction, reduces the consequences of psychotraumatic situations and neuropsychiatric tensions, forms personal preconditions for adapting to new situations, and addresses secondary disorders in the communication area (confrontation, aggression, irritability, and other non-adaptive behaviors).
Psychological correction of individuals
It aims to overcome or weaken emotional states and behavioral violations in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of the social environment and the needs of the individual with musculoskeletal violations.
Razuvaeva T, Gut Y, Lokteva A, Pchelkina E. The Problem of Psychological Rehabilitation of Persons with Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System Acquired in Adulthood. Behav Sci (Basel). 2019;9(12):133. published 2019 Nov 30. doi:10.3390/bs9120133
Conclusion
Different specialties deal with different symptoms differently, but one way to understand what the patient's problem is is to understand the patient's needs. However, this research has given us some knowledge to understand what the patient's problem is.
In general hospitals, where there are several departments, it is easy to work together, but in general practitioners and medical facilities, where cooperation with other departments is weak, it is easy to intervene in situations that do not need to be intervened in out of a sense of mission to solve the problem by oneself.
This is something that people who can provide appropriate counseling should understand without saying.
