Promoting Mental Health and Wellness in Healthcare Settings: The Role of Clinical Psychology

Dear Colleagues,

The role of clinical psychology in promoting health and well-being in healthcare and psychological services has become increasingly crucial in recent years. Our understanding of health has evolved from a purely biomedical model to a biopsychosocial one (Engel, 1977; Huber, 2011; Larson, 1999), recognizing the interconnection between mind and body, leading to more circular or dialogical definitions of health (Bircher & Kuruvilla, 2014; Turchi & Della Torre, 1997).

Studies within clinical psychology have the potential to offer a unique contribution in this context. Firstly, clinical psychology plays a fundamental role in promoting healthy behaviors (Kaplan, 2000; Taylor, 2018), intervening in various contexts and for different activities, such as smoking cessation, weight management, increasing physical activity, adherence to medical therapies, reducing alcohol consumption, stress management, and improving sleep quality. Through different tools, clinical psychologists help people modify harmful habits, develop effective coping strategies, and improve their overall well-being, adapting interventions to the specific needs of each individual and the community to which they belong.

Furthermore, research in clinical psychology continues to provide evidence on the effectiveness of psychological interventions in various healthcare settings, from oncology to chronic pain management, from psychotropic substance use to suicide attempts, opening new perspectives for more integrated and holistic care in services.

Another relevant aspect is the support that clinical psychology offers to healthcare workers. Burnout and work-related stress are widespread problems in healthcare and social services (Maslach et al., 2001; Shanafelt, 2012; Ruotsalainen, 2015), and clinical psychologists can provide tools to manage these challenges, consequently improving the quality of care provided.

Clinical psychology also contributes to the humanization of healthcare services (Todres et al., 2009; Stewart et al., 2000), promoting a patient-centered approach and improving communication between patients and healthcare providers (Mead & Bower, 2000; Beach et al., 2006).

Clinical psychology thus emerges as an essential discipline in modern healthcare and psychological services, offering an irreplaceable contribution to the promotion of health and well-being for both patients and healthcare providers.

This Special Issue aims to spotlight the multifaceted role of clinical psychology in health promotion and wellness enhancement within healthcare settings. Our primary objective is to compile cutting-edge research and expert perspectives that demonstrate how clinical psychology is revolutionizing health promotion strategies across various medical domains.

We invite contributions that address the evolving nature of health conceptualization, the effectiveness of psychological interventions in diverse psychological and medical contexts, and the crucial role of clinical psychology in supporting both patients and healthcare providers.

The scope of this Special Issue encompasses a broad spectrum of health promotion topics through the lens of clinical psychology. We invite submissions exploring innovative psychological approaches to lifestyle modification and disease prevention, the integration of clinical psychology in public health initiatives, the application of health psychology principles in managing and preventing chronic illnesses, strategies for enhancing health literacy and patient empowerment, and interventions addressing the well-being of healthcare professionals.

Topic:

1. Evolution of the health model: from biomedical to biopsychosocial
2. Role of clinical psychology in health promotion
3. Promotion of healthy behaviors through clinical psychology
4. Psychological interventions in specific healthcare contexts (e.g., oncology, chronic pain management)
5. Burnout and work-related stress in healthcare workers
6. Psychological tools for stress management in healthcare workers
7. Humanization of healthcare services
8. Patient-centered approach in care
9. Intercultural approach in healthcare services
10. Improving communication between patients and healthcare providers
11. Effectiveness of psychological interventions in healthcare settings
12. Adaptation of psychological interventions to individual and community needs
13. Interconnection between mind and body in health
14. Circular or dialogical definitions of health
15. Contribution of clinical psychology to addiction management
16. Role of clinical psychology in suicide prevention

References

1. Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129-136.
2. Huber, M., Knottnerus, J. A., Green, L., van der Horst, H., Jadad, A. R., Kromhout, D., ... & Smid, H. (2011). How should we define health? BMJ, 343, d4163.
3. Larson, J. S. (1999). The conceptualization of health. Medical Care Research and Review, 56(2), 123-136.
4. Bircher, J., & Kuruvilla, S. (2014). Defining health by addressing individual, social, and environmental determinants: New opportunities for health care and public health. Journal of Public Health Policy, 35(3), 363-386.
5. Turchi, G. P., & Della Torre, C. (2007). Psicologia della salute. Dal modello bio-psico-sociale al modello dialogico. Armando Editore.
6. Kaplan, R. M. (2000). Two pathways to prevention. American Psychologist, 55(4), 382-396.
7. Taylor, S. E. (2018). Health psychology (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
8. Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397-422.
9. Shanafelt, T. D., Boone, S., Tan, L., Dyrbye, L. N., Sotile, W., Satele, D., ... & Oreskovich, M. R. (2012). Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(18), 1377-1385.
10. Ruotsalainen, J. H., Verbeek, J. H., Mariné, A., & Serra, C. (2015). Preventing occupational stress in healthcare workers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4).
11. Todres, L., Galvin, K. T., & Holloway, I. (2009). The humanization of healthcare: A value framework for qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 4(2), 68-77.
12. Stewart, M., Brown, J. B., Donner, A., McWhinney, I. R., Oates, J., Weston, W. W., & Jordan, J. (2000). The impact of patient-centered care on outcomes. Journal of Family Practice, 49(9), 796-804.
13. Mead, N., & Bower, P. (2000). Patient-centredness: a conceptual framework and review of the empirical literature. Social Science & Medicine, 51(7), 1087-1110.
14. Beach, M. C., Inui, T., & Relationship-Centered Care Research Network. (2006). Relationship-centered care: A constructive reframing. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 21(S1), S3-S8.

Dr. Antonio Iudici
Guest Editor

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• clinical psychology
• health promotion
• dialogical health
• healthcare settings
• psychological interventions
• holistic health