Psychosocial Function and Assessment Flashcards
Psychosocial refers to
- Mental health
- Cognition involves thinking, reasoning, and impairments like
delirium and dementia. - Affective function is intrapersonal (within ourselves) and
interpersonal (relationship with others and the world), and
impairments like depression, psychiatric illnesses and loss of
touch with reality.
Mental health
a large umbrella encompassing both the cognitive and affective aspects of a person.
Psychological Aspects of Aging
- Psychosocial changes associated with older adulthood are often
challenging and require energy for coping. - Challenges are associated with compromised health and function
and are also affected by role change, relationships, and living
environments. - Nurses can promote psychosocial wellness through development
of effective coping strategies.
Life Changing Events
- Retirement
- Relocation
- Chronic illness and Functional impairment
- Widowhood
- Death of friends and family
- Ageist Attitudes
- Loss of autonomy (ie. Driving)
Risk Factors That Affect Psychosocial
Function
- Factors contributing to high levels of stress
- Poor physical health
* Impaired functional abilities
* Weak social supports
* Lack of economic resources
* Immature developmental level
* Narrow range of coping skills
* Occurrence of unanticipated events
* Occurrence of several daily hassles at the same time
* Occurrence of several major life events over short time
- Poor physical health
Stress
Defined as the sum of all effects of factors that act on the body
chronic stress increases risks for various conditions
Stressors
Normal activities and disease states, both pleasant and unpleasant
Three stages of stressors
Alarm
resistance
exhaustion
Coping styles categorized as problem focused or emotion focused
- Seeking information
- Reframing situation
- Maintaining hopeful outlook
- Using stress reduction techniques
- Channeling energy into physical activity
- Creating fantasies regarding outcomes
- Finding reassurance and emotional support
- Identifying limits and realistic goals
- Getting involved in activities such as art, music
and writing
Stress and Coping in Older adults: Relevance for Nurses
- Identifying interventions for
optimal functioning and quality
of life - Psychosocial interventions to
deal with chronic conditions to
remain at home safely
Factors that
affect
psychosocial
function in
older adults
- Spirituality
- Culture
- Support system
- Resilience
Spirituality and Aging
- Is much broader and more personal with age
- Spirituality and religious practices of older people are linked to
positive health outcomes - Health care professionals should be aware of patients’ religious and spiritual beliefs and seek to understand what function they serve
Health-enhancing or
health-protecting effects of
religiosity are due to the
unique qualities of social
support provided through
church networks.
True or false
True:
Religion and religiosity have a strong social component and are associated with a faith community. The health benefits of religiosity have been identified by research, and health-enhancing or health-protecting effects of religiosity are due to the unique qualities of social support provided through church networks.
Culture and Psychosocial Function
- Culture influences the way a person perceives psychosocial function
- Cultural bound syndrome
Support System
Social, spiritual, and emotional support
Informational Support:
- Health Literacy: listening skills, the ability to
speak and communicate health needs, and the
ability to act on written health information
and instruction from health care providers - Limited literacy skills influence understanding
health-related information - 6/10 adult Canadian do not have proficient
health literacy - Especially true for immigrants