Health-Illness Continuum: Understanding Personal State of Health
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The paper discusses the importance of the health-illness continuum in relation to health and caring for patients. It also reflects on personal state of health and provides options and resources to move towards wellness on the health-illness spectrum.
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Running head: HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM Health-illness continuum Name of the student: Name of the University: Author’s note
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1HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM Introduction: The human experience across the health-illness continuum is influenced not only by the presence of physical symptoms of illness, but also by the role of psychosocial and emotional state on an individual. The health-illness continuum is an appropriate tool that helps to understand the parameters that are needed for high level of well-being and the parameters that can lead to deterioration of health. This paper provides an insight into the relevance of the continuum for influencing patient care and understanding personal state of health in relation to the wellness spectrum. Importance of health-illness continuum in relation to health and caring for patients: Health-illness continuum is a graphic tool developed by John W. Travis that incorporates not only absence of physical symptoms to achieve well-being, but also includes mental and emotional health component to evaluate well-being of an individual. The graphic illustrates two arrows-one pointing towards high-level of wellness and other pointing towards premature death and this is joined at a neutral point indicating no illness (Schomerus et al., 2016). As the health- illness continuum mainly gives the concept that patient’s awareness, attitude and physical growth is necessary for well-being, this concept can be utilized to target health behaviour of people and consider its impact on well-being. For example, self-management is often targeted to improve health of a population or individual because it is based on the notion that awareness about disease conditions and ways to self-manage it is critical for recovery of patients (Brady, Anderson & Kobau, 2015).In addition, utilizing the emotional and mental-well being concept from the illness-wealth continuum, patient’s care experience can be enhanced. This is important because patients with illness go through emotional turmoil such as anger, frustration and
2HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM depression (Breitbart et al., 2015). Hence, by focussing on physical and psyschosocial aspects of patient’s life, additional unmet needs of patients can be analyzed and easily worked on. Figure 1:Illness-well continuum. Source: (Schomerus et al., 2016). Reflection on personal state of health: Currently, I am suffering from symptom of intense fatigue, weakness and hypertension. This has occurred because I have been recently diagnosed with diabetes. Though I have consulted my physician after the diagnosis and continuing with my medications too, however I am still challenged by hypertension and poor glucose control. As the symptom of fatigue and hypertension has affected my work life, I am currently very stressed out. I lack direction and do not understand how I can manage my glucose level as well as fulfil other responsibilities of life. This issue has reduced my confidence level and I feel inattentive at workplace. By comparing my state of health based on the illness-wellness continuum, I feel that currently I am progressing towards pre-mature arrow in the continuum. This is because all the physical symptoms related to
3HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM diabetes are present and I do have any clue what factor is the reason behind poor control. The high wellness arrow has awareness and growth component. However, currently I am not aware about the methods to achieve optimal glucose level. As this has affected my mental well-being too, I state that I have not achieved high level of well-being and I am progressing towards illness and disability. Options and resources to move towards wellness on the health-illness spectrum: Currently, the thing that is preventing me from progressing towards wellness on the health-illness spectrum is poor mental state due to diabetes and lack of knowledge regarding ways to self-manage the disease. The first resource that can help me to move towards wellness component includes use of web-based sources to identify way to achieve glucose control. I can consult my physician regarding appropriate web-based site that can increase my self-efficacy and self-care skills. This would help me to improve blood pressure outcomes and gylcemic control related outcomes. As this would play a role in increasing my knowledge in relation to self- management of diabetes, it would also lead to decrease my distress level.Spearson and Mistry (2016)haverevealedthatweb-basedself-managementinterventionsalongwithproper collaboration with physician can improve self-management skills and symptoms of patient. Another resource that is vital in helping me move towards the wellness continuum is the use of self-relaxation techniques to enhance my confidence and attention. This would help me to meet my self-actualization need of progressing in my career. Loss of independence and poor quality of life are some disease associated factors that decrease confidence of patients. Hence, in such situation, relaxation technique is one supporting source that can enhance psychological well0being and improve quality of life of people with illness (Reig-Ferrer et al., 2014).
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4HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM Conclusion: To conclude, the comparison of personal state of health on health-illness continuum revealed that awareness related to management of disease and mental distress was a factor that acted as barrier in achieving holistic well-being. The paper provided an insight into possible resource that can increaseattitudetowards illnessand increaseconfidencein effectively managing disease and achieving high level of wellness.
5HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM References: Brady, T. J., Anderson, L. A., & Kobau, R. (2015). Chronic disease self-management support: publichealthperspectives.Frontiersinpublichealth,2,234. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2014.00234 Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Pessin, H., Applebaum, A., Kulikowski, J., & Lichtenthal, W. G. (2015). Meaning-centered group psychotherapy: an effective intervention for improving psychologicalwell-beinginpatientswithadvancedcancer.JournalofClinical Oncology,33(7), 749. Reig-Ferrer, A., Ferrer-Cascales, R., Santos-Ruiz, A., Campos-Ferrer, A., Prieto-Seva, A., Velasco-Ruiz, I., Fernandez-Pascual, M. D., … Albaladejo-Blazquez, N. (2014). A relaxationtechnique enhancespsychological well-being and immuneparametersin elderly people from a nursing home: a randomized controlled study.BMC complementary and alternative medicine,14, 311. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-311 Schomerus, G., Angermeyer, M. C., Baumeister, S. E., Stolzenburg, S., Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2016). An online intervention using information on the mental health-mental illness continuum to reduce stigma.European Psychiatry,32, 21-27. Spearson, C. L., & Mistry, A. (2016). Several Aspects of Internet and Web-Based Technology in Diabetes Management.Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association,29(4), 245-248.