Introduction
Mental health has been a well-debated theme after two world wars and a massive loss of lives on a global scale; however, the tide started turning during the late 20th century and the dawn of the 21st century, when mental health issues were finally dealt with sincerity and compassion. Psychiatric institutes and facilities were created as early as the 1910s and 20s, but the treatment of patients was also raising concerns. The condition of rehabilitation psychology changed for the better after the 2000s, with the 2020 global pandemic bringing the matter to the forefront.
Importance of Mental Health
As we go on with our everyday routine, we tend to focus less on the mental state than on the physical state. From a simple dress up to mending a physical injury, the external distress is easily noticeable and gets immediate attention. Whereas, when it comes to the mind, mood, and behaviour, very few of us will actually choose to address it, let alone seek help.
It is a widely accepted fact now that mental health is as important as physical health. Mental health disorders affect a person’s mind, mood, and behaviour, causing significant duress, often for a lifetime. The causes vary from person to person, with more than one factor, such as biological and social factors, affecting the mental state.
Mental health professionals are typically highly educated and well-trained in their field of expertise, and can help you choose a treatment mode that is most suitable for the patient’s well-being. Today, the high levels of mental health awareness allow us to recognise signs of mental illness and often visit licensed psychiatrists or psychologists to find a resolution.
Mental Health & Rehabilitation Psychology
As mentioned earlier, mental health problems can arise from a variety of causes, and without a proper psychological evaluation, it is hard to determine what any of us is going through. The problem with any health issue is that if the disease is left to fester, the recovery can become tricky.
Like in a physical injury or emergency, patients are taken to the hospital for immediate treatment; in the case of severe mental health problems or episodes, the patient is taken to a mental health institute or sent to a rehabilitation centre after a thorough check-up.
The field of rehabilitation psychology deals with this very process of rehabilitation, with plans for social reintegration. Patients from every background can check in showing extreme conditions such as addiction, trauma, accidental injury, memory disorders, and much more.
Intervention Tactics for Mental Health Issues
After getting diagnosed with a mental health disorder, the mental health professional will suggest treatment plans that will be effective in bringing the situation under control. Interventions in psychology can be of different types depending on the severity of the patient’s condition. Usually, there are four types of programmes, and psychologists get to decide if one or more programmes are needed for betterment.
Therapeutic Intervention: Most counselling psychologists are qualified and equipped to conduct therapy sessions with clients and suggest daily tasks or activities for psychological relief.
Medicational Intervention: In advanced cases of psychological disorder or lifelong psychological conditions, the treatment may involve prescribed medications, often coupled with therapy to see the medicinal effects first-hand.
Lifestyle Intervention: Our lifestyle is one thing that is often believed to be the reason for certain health conditions, and the same goes for mental health. Mental health providers may ask you about your lifestyle, work-life balance, stress, relationships, and healthy diet, and suggest ways to improve them and see the results.
Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation programmes are introduced for severe mental health cases, where the patient cannot be treated or monitored at home. Such interventions can be voluntarily done by patients themselves or by a family member or well-wisher wanting to give them the help they need.
These are the basic intervention tactics that most psychologists resort to. Mental health problems can surface as a side effect of a prolonged physical health condition. This is especially true in accident cases, where the physical injury causes trauma and often full-on mental breakdowns. The idea of rehabilitation psychology revolves around handling cases that have a history of mental health disorders, and institutionalised care is essential.
The Rising Importance of Rehabilitation Psychology in Post-Pandemic Mental Health
020 is often considered a turnaround year, when health crises around the world increased drastically, overwhelming the entire medical science industry. The mental health institutions also saw an influx in cases due to the country-wide lockdowns and the growing sense of dread for the countless lives lost during the pandemic.
With enforced lockdowns and quarantines on the rise, rehabilitation programmes were included to give patients hope in total solitude. Even patients suffering from the COVID-19 virus for up to months also required rehabilitation, as they received after the long battle. In the post-pandemic era, rehabilitation psychology has gained a reputation for reliability, and more people are turning to such services.
Psychology Studies in the Post-Pandemic Era
The overall growth of psychology education in the post-pandemic era is a positive sign for many people, especially lucrative for students who wish to make a career in the field. COVID-19 became one of the rare events that affected almost everybody in the world, in one way or another. The psychological impact of the pandemic is still under research.
The increased acceptance of rehabilitation psychology is one of the good outcomes of the pandemic. In the past 5 years, the overall awareness of psychology has also increased significantly, and a growing number of students have joined different psychology programmes around the world in the hopes of serving the mental health institutions.
Different Methods of Psychological Intervention in Rehabilitation
The need for rehabilitation psychology cannot be described in a few words, and psychologists have different methods of tackling each patient based on their psychological assessment. The following methods of intervention are applied by licensed psychologists across the world to help their subjects get back to a normal state of life.
- Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
- Psychoeducation
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
- Mindfulness-based Interventions
- Social Skills Training
Rehabilitation psychology students are trained in a practical setting to treat patients using these methods or assist established professionals with their assessment and treatment procedures. For any student in the field of psychology, rehabilitation psychology can present a good career scope.
