Grodno State Medical University
Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Lecture 1.
The Definition of Medical Psychology
Lector: Zhyhar Alena
Grodno, 2020
Medical psychology:
1. clinical psychology
2. psychology of medicine (psychology of
treatment, patient, illness, medicals)
Clinical psychology includes the scientific study and
application of psychology for the purpose of
understanding, preventing, and relieving
psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to
promote subjective well-being and personal
development.
Definition of Clinical Psychology
The field of clinical psychology involves research, teaching, and
services relevant to the applications of principles, methods, and
procedures for understanding, predicting, and alleviating
intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social and
behavioral maladjustment, disability and discomfort, applied to a
wide range of client population.
Clinical psychology may be confused with psychiatry,
which generally has similar goals (e.g. the alleviation of
mental distress), but psychiatry makes accent on the
biological aspects of mental disorder, clinical
psychology – on psychological factors. As such,
psychiatrists tend to focus on medication-based
solutions, although some of them also provide
psychotherapeutic services as well.
Activities in which Clinical Psychologists Engage
• Assessment
•Treatment
•Research
•Teaching
•Consultation
•Administration
How do psychologists assess people?
•Interview.
•Test
Intelligence and
achievement tests
Personality tests
Neuropsychological tests
Clinical Interview
It’s the most common way to assess someone.
Clinical interviewing can be defined as the process of evaluating
a patient to reveal important information regarding his current
condition or personality. We try to understand the patients mind
by posing various questions and observing the reactions. The patient's
intonations, speed or rate of speech, facial expressions, gestures and
posture all contribute to the accuracy of the interview.
Interviewing is a practical skill that can only be learned through doing.
Achievement tests measure people’s skills and the
knowledge they have in specific academic areas.
Intelligence and motivation play roles, but so does
learning. Intelligence tests are designed to measure
certain specific kinds of cognitive functioning (often
referred to as IQ) in comparison to a norming-
group. These tests attempt to measure such traits
as general knowledge, verbal skill, memory,
attention, logical reasoning, and perception.
A person’s personality consists of his or her
characteristics, habits, preferences, and moods.
Objective tests, such as the MMPI, are based on
restricted answers—such as yes/no, true/false, or
a rating scale—which allow for computation of
scores that can be compared to a normative group.
WWPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory) is the most widely used test, which can
determine psychological problems, as well as
tendencies.
Projective tests, such as the Rorschach inkblot
test: test takers are asked to report what the
stimuli represent to them (no wrong answers).
They have open-ended format: no specified
answer.
Rorschach Inkblot Test. Test takers look at an
inkblot and tell the psychologist what it looks
like to them.
In the Rorschach Inkblot test
people react to what they see.
They project their
interpretations onto an image
that is presented to them.
Neuropsychological tests. Neuropsychological
tests consist of specifically designed tasks used
to measure psychological functions known to be
linked to a particular brain structure or pathway.
They are typically used to assess impairment
after an injury or illness known to affect
neurocognitive functioning, or when used in
research, to contrast neuropsychological
abilities across experimental groups.
After assessment, clinical psychologists often
provide a diagnostic impression. Many
countries use the International Statistical
Classification of Diseases and Related Health
Problems (ICD-10), while the U.S. uses the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (the DSM version IV-TR). Both
assume medical concepts and terms, and state
that there are categorical disorders that can be
diagnosed by set lists of descriptive criteria.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental
and social wellbeing and not merely an absence
of disease or infirmity. (WHO)
Our body and mind are tuned to send us
signals for any nonfunctional activity,
generally called as symptoms. It’s important to
read and understand them in time, to ensure
balance of mind, spirit and body.
Disease is a physiological/psychological
dysfunction.
Illness is a subjective state of a person who
feels aware of not being well.
Sickness is a state of social dysfunction, a role
that the individual assumes when ill (“sickness
role”).
1. Symptom Experience
Transition stage
The person believes something is wrong
Experiences some symptoms (physical,
cognitive, emotional)
2. Assumption of Sick Role
Acceptance of the illness
Seeks advice, support for decision to give up
some activities
3. Medical Care Contact
Seek advice of health professionals for the
following reasons:
Validation of real illness
Explanation of symptoms
Reassurance or prediction of outcome
4. Dependent Patient Role
Become dependent to health professionals
Accept/rejects health professional’s
suggestions
Becomes more passive and accepting
May regress to an earlier behavioral stage
5. Recovery/Rehabilitation
Gives up the sick role and returns to former
roles and functions.
One is not held responsible for his condition
One is excused from social roles
One is obliged to get well as soon as possible
One is obliged to seek for competent help
Mental health is a state of well-being in which
every individual realizes his or her own
potential, can cope with the normal stresses of
life, can work productively and fruitfully, and
is able to make a contribution to his or her
community
Maria Jahoda proposed the following six
characteristics of the mentally healthy
individual
Environmental mastery
Undistorted perception of reality
Integration
Autonomy
Growth, self-development and self-
actualization
Attitude towards Self
Thank You For Attention!
