Psychology for Health Professionals
The definition of the term health requires inclusion of a broader sense beyond the original biomedical meaning, which is the presence, absence of disease causing agents or symptoms in a patient. Biopsychosocial approach delivers this definition effectively. It recognizes that an individual’s health is dependent on an intricate interaction of psychological, biological and social factors . This implies that experiences, culture, and healthcare approaches by the childcare givers to children have a direct impact on their heath. The Maori culture recognizes that family, spirituality, physical wellbeing and emotions affect health.
Health professionals must be well conversant with family dynamics, culture, and different perception in children upbringing. This equips them to give specialized and personal healthcare based on different circumstances. Family stability and absence of divorces has a direct relationship with good health. Economic wellbeing of the family and appropriate parenting style may improve a child’s health. Western culture has an individualistic approach to healthcare and parenting which can be limiting to a child’s wellbeing. On the other hand, other cultures embrace collective responsibility in parenting and healthcare of children. In such a setting, distant relatives such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins play a role in taking care of children. They can present them for healthcare examination and treatment.
Adoption and foster care has a different approach in cultures. In the western culture, adoption can occur where someone completely unrelated to a child can take care of the child. In other cultures where community care is a norm, adoption is only by a kin who has blood relations with the child. Children under foster care in either case face the risk of neglect and child abuse. On the flipside, it provides specialized healthcare and upbringing that a child would otherwise not receive under neglectful parental care.
Reference list
Barkway, P. (2009). Psychology for Health Professionals. Sydney: New York:
Churchill
Livingston/ Elsevier
Health, N. R. C. (2004). Measuring Influences on Children's Health. In: Children's health, the
nation's wealth : assessing and improving child health. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press
