Psychological Support in Rehabilitation

Many people experience a range of emotional responses to injury or illness. These responses can significantly impact a person's engagement with treatment, their progress, and outcomes. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in recognising and addressing the psychological impact of illness and injury. They must also be able to identify when patients need additional psychological support.

The emotional impact of an injury or illness can vary greatly from person to person.

Adjusting to a new situation or change in function can be challenging. Patients may experience a range of emotions, from disbelief to exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, frustration, anger etc. For some people, these emotions can develop into more complex, long-term issues like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep deprivation or memory issues.

Anxiety

Anxiety is another common mental health challenge. Anxiety can have many manifestations, including an excessive worry about the future, and in rehabilitation settings, an excessive fear of re-injury. Anxiety can negatively affect quality of life. People with anxiety may find it difficult to focus and their anxiety may make their pain feel worse.

Condition-specific examples:

• anxiety symptoms persist for at least one year in one-third of survivors of critical illness anxiety diagnoses and symptoms are most common in individuals with traumatic brain injury two to five years post-injury

Patients recovering from sudden or life-threatening events may develop post-traumatic stress disorder. There is also evidence linking PTSD to major aging-related diseases. Symptoms include flashbacks, avoidance, becoming excessively alert, and memory issues. These can negatively affect progress in rehabilitation as emotional distress may inhibit engagement in therapy. PTSD significantly impacts daily life and must be addressed by appropriately trained healthcare professionals

Sleep Deprivation

Adequate sleep is crucial for cognitive function, emotional regulation, physical recovery, and overall well-being. Sleep deprivation can increase pain, affect decision-making, and increase a person's risk of depression and anxiety. There is a bidirectional relationship between sleep and emotional well-being or mental health; poor sleep can worsen mental health, and poor mental health can worsen sleep. Sleep is, therefore, an important consideration in health and rehabilitation settings.

The role of physiotherapy supporting the Mental Health in any aspect of the injury stage is important for patient recovery

Healthcare providers play a pivotal role in supporting their patients' mental health. Depending on their scope of practice, they may be involved in: assessing psychological factors, acknowledging the sense of loss experienced by a patient, implementing psychological interventions to address psychological factors, providing emotional support throughout the rehabilitation process, and educating families and others involved in the patient's care.

The following sections discuss the role of healthcare professionals in supporting mental health challenges patients may face as a result of disability or injury.