Why medical psychology?

Abstract

The concepts, at times intangible, of health and disease, have had and will have a special significance depending on the time, the historical moment, the social and cultural connotations of each society, beyond the countless advances, which from the scientific field have forever modified "being sick".
The proposal aims at a reflection that allows us to understand the evolution of the intricate link between both terms (health and disease), in medical practice, with what this implies for all those who become protagonists, whether as a patient, a family member, or a health professional. There are many elements to prioritize, but perhaps the understanding of "the psychological" and all the aspects that are mobilized in the situation of illness is what has led to the importance of the presence of the medical psychologist in multidisciplinary care teams. The understanding also, that the intricate is not exhausted in a classical psychological approach, has allowed access to a position that tries to integrate the biomedical aspects with the psychosocial aspects.
The field of work is now emerging as multifocal and pluripersonal, since the patient can only be fully understood and approached if he/she is perceived as part of a unique situation.
In this conception, that doctor-patient link, where the professional was the absolute depositary of the responsibility of the "cure", has given way to a situation where the patient, through an active behavior, becomes an essential part of the process. However, at this point, it should be noted that only a bond of trust with the treating professional will facilitate adequate adherence to treatment and health behaviors on the part of the "sick" person.
The family dimension, present from the real and the imaginary in both protagonists of the situation, must be taken into account in all its importance when considering the current situation of the disease and the possibilities of its evolution.
Last but not least, the institutional framework in which it occurs varies from one health system to another, at least in our developing countries. From this point of view, multi-employment, lack of time, economic and/or technical resources, where the doctor-patient-family relationship is framed, necessarily affect the affective dynamics of the patient, his family, the health personnel and, therefore, the process of "cure".
All these variables, how to enhance those that promote the patient's adherence to treatment and neutralize and/or unblock those factors that "sabotage" the good development of the same, is the field on which MEDICAL PSYCHOLOGY acts. The constant development of this new specialty has allowed, in addition to the achievement of its fundamental objective, which is the benefit for the patient, making the treatment instances more effective and tolerable, the enrichment of psychological knowledge and medical work, as well as the achievement of a better understanding of the risk factors that the health professional must face, thus promoting preventive behaviors in him/her.