Psychological aspects of rehabilitation

Abstract

The paper discusses rehabilitation of patients with mental disorders after brain injuries, defining the notion of rehabilitation and associated notions, stressing the complexity of the problem caused by diversity of opinions on its different aspects. Conflicting definitions can be explained by absence of clear definitions of co-relation of social medical measures and underestimation of psychological aspects of rehabilitation. A number of authors focus on the goals of the process, others point out systemic organization of rehabilitation and focus on its outcomes. The issue of content and aims of rehabilitation remains controversial. There are two terms used to define the process: psychological rehabilitation and psychology of rehabilitation. It is emphasized that focus on psychological aspects of rehabilitation is caused by greater attention to man in science and especially by the logic of development of medical thinking. Three major psychological aspects of rehabilitation are described: focus on the most acute problems of the patient, active involvement of the patient and his family in the treatment, a team approach to rehabilitation. Recognition of psychological aspects of rehabilitation poses a number of questions connected with development of concrete approaches and methods, with bridging the gap between theory and practice, with development of criteria and methods of assessing effectiveness of rehabilitation. The authors consider two principal approaches to rehabilitation -The functional and the social which seem to complement one another. According to the first approach, rehabilitation focuses on restoring lost functions; according to the second, rehabilitation is understood as re-socialization of the patient, restoration of his individual and social value as a person. The concluding part of the paper is devoted to cognitive rehabilitation and the associated terminology, such as neuropsychological rehabilitation and restoration of higher mental functions.