Psychological Discontentment: A Case Study

The psychological discontentment Patricia feels towards her treatment is one that needs to be addressed because the inability to manage this will negatively impact her treatment process to fulfil an active and healthy ageing life. Patricia has expressed that she is disappointed and frustrated that she is unable to continue her normal active lifestyle and fear she might lose her social network with her Greek community. Social strains are indicated to increase physical symptoms, therefore nursing intervention that enables Patricia to engage in her social activities with her community is important. Social support has shown to strengthen recovery and improvement against illness as it provides a coping mechanism for the individual and reduces stress (Luger et al, …show more content…
For Patricia to reach a level of satisfaction in her treatment the focus should be directed towards self-help and patient-driven treatment instead of passive strategies directed by health professionals (Zhang et al, 2008). By engaging her in patient education and understanding the different changes the treatment can have on her life, along with listening and finding ways to integrate it into her life, can improve her overall view of treatment plans and reduce negative feelings she may harbour (Zhang et al, 2008). Along with this, Patricia has expressed that she felt nervous to ask questions and had difficulty in making treatment choices, which can harmfully advance her osteoarthritis because patients that do not disclose their concerns to their physicians and nurses which will result in them receiving inadequate management plans (Somers, 2009). Distinctly, anxiety and avoidance can independently cause poorer function (Scopaz et al,