Page 29 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

2 Chapter 1. Psychosocial Consequences of Wounds

• Psychological distress of living can provoke an
increase in risky health behaviours such as smoking
and alcohol consumption;

• A significant, negative relationship has been found
between these psychosocial problems and the healing
process;

• The relationship between psychosocial and physical
health underlines the importance of taking a
holistic approach to clinical care, rather than simply
focusing on the physical signs and symptoms of the
wound.

Summary

Patient centred practice, which focuses on an individual’s
illness experiences, not just on the clinical signs and symp-
toms of their wounds is essential. In recent years there has
been a substantial increase in the range and scope of research
addressing the psychosocial issues related to wound care,
resulting in better understanding of the impact these can
have both on the healing process, and a patient’s wider qual-
ity of life (see Box 1.1). It is therefore essential that these
issues be addressed in clinical practice. This chapter provides
an overview of the psychosocial factors which are the focus of
this book. The consequences for healing are summarized and
the implications for clinical practice reviewed.

Introduction

A number of psychological consequences have been noted to
occur for individuals living with wounds. These issues can be
both specific (attached to a particular type of wound- see

Chap. 5 ) and generic. For example, due to the complex nature
of different wounds, the psychological effects of each can