Psychological Aspects of Health - Essay Example

PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF HEALTH Introduction In this essay, I will focus on the social exclusion with a view to explainhow it can affect one’s health and lead to serious complications. The main aim will be to analyse Jim’s maladaptive behavior, with an aim of explaining its cause. The essay will focus on the issue from psychological and sociological perspectives. In the final part, a recommendation on how the challenge can be resolved will be provided. Brief introduction of Jim’s case Jim appears to be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which emanates mostly from social exclusion (Marmot, & Wilkinson, 2006). This is explained by the events preceding his maladaptive behavior. He is still morning his wife, who has recently passed on, and this situation leave him vulnerable to drugs and substance use. His social exclusion can aslo be explained by the fact that he has not worked for almost 30 years. As a result, he may have lost friends, especially due to his drinking problem. However, one of the main problems is that Jim lacks strong social bond. He is socially excluded; hence, he cannot share his emotional status with anyone. Due to post-traumatic stress disorder, Jim has become callous to social events and even forgotten about his personal grooming. Social exclusion and behavior Social exclusion has been associated with impaired self-regulation and cognition the victims become lonely, and can succumb to self-defeating behaviour (Taylor, 2007). This may include excessive drinking, become unhygiene, and even use illegal drugs. Social exclusion is conceptualized as lack of strong social bonds. The social ties are created with either one’s spouse, family members or friends. However, due to personality issues, a number of people do not have a large social capital or a circle of friends. Unlike most women who keep large circles of friends and strong relationships, men have less or no close friends (Taylor, 2007). women on the other hand use the established social bonds to express their negative emotions, hence may not experience health problems emanating from psychological triggers. Social exclusion, leads to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and estrangement. People are social being, and they thrive well in social interactions. If they cannot form strong social bonds, they are most likely to engage in self-defeating behavior such as excessive drinking. In Jim’s case, it is clear that he is experiencing social exclusion. However, Jim’s scenario can be understood by looking at the events that precede his current behavior. Death is a traumatizing event that can lead to depression and other mental disorders that can affect one’s health. With most men lacking large social circles and relationships, their spouses are the only people with whom they can share their problems. In Jim’s life, the death of his wife was therefore a huge loss. His drinking problem became worse when his wife died, explaining the main reason why social exclusion has been selected to explain Jim’s health problem, and not unemployment. As a traumatizing event, death has been associated with the PTSD, which is a psychological disorder that can lead to suicidal thought or acts, use of alcohol and other substances, becoming callous to one’s general health and hygiene and losing meaning of life (Morrison & Bennett, 2012). The PTSD thrives well in people who do not have strong social bonds, such as close friends and family members. From analysis of the case study, it also seems that Jim is experiencing poverty, especially owing to the fact that he has not been employed for about 30 years. There is a relationship between poverty and social exclusion. In many countries, poor people are marginalized, especially explained by the inequitable distribution of resources (Taylor, 2009). For instance, the poor people lack access to basic human needs such as health services, education and clean water and food. The social inclusion in this case can be understood as the act of neglecting certain members of the society, because of the race, physical ability, religion or economic status. For instance, Jim’s drinking problem can be explained from this kind of social exclusion and frustrations that he had to go through looking for another job. While the unemployment itself would have contributed to the problem, the major issue is social exclusion. Hence, when his wife passes on, this causes intense negative emotions that make Jim engage in risky behavior that is a threat to his life. Social exclusion and cognition Social exclusion has been associated with mental problems, such as judgment, hence leading to poor decisions (Ogden, 2012). In the society, a majority of the socially isolated people, especially the poor, are likely to indulge in drinking and using other substances. They do this as a response to the traumatising experiences they go through. However, engaging in risky behavior, such as in the case of Jim, is because of impaired cognition. According to his perception and analysis of the current situation, life is meaningless and hopeless without his wife. He does not see anything positive in life, or any impetus to face life. As a result, he wants to drink to forget the realities of life. The irrational behavior is a form of defence mechanism that makes him not face the pain. He is in denial. Jim’s case is exacerbated by the fact that he is also depressed. Social exclusion from sociological perspective According to Emile Durkheim, most of the undesirable social behavior, such as drinking, use of drugs and other substance, and suicide are attributed to lack of strong social bonds. In this case, the social exclusion plays an imperative role in ensuring that individuals are integrated to the larger society (Ogden, 2012). Durkheim asserted that the social relationships play a huge role in preventing some maladaptive behavior that could lead to health problems in victims (Barry & Yuill, 2012). In his theory of suicide, he focused on religion and marital status to explain why some people were more likely to commit suicide than others were. In terms of religion, he found that suicide rates were higher in Protestants compared to Catholics. The explanation was that Protestants have values that lead to social isolation and unnecessary competition. For instance, the Protestant ethics emphasises more on hard work and accumulation of resources. The same protestant ethics has led to capitalism that has led to problems that are more social. For instance, job losses, such as the one experienced by Jim, can be explained from the capitalism perspective. One of the main characteristics of capitalism is efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace. As a result, automation has become a common social phenomenon leading more productivity (Wilkinson, & Pickett, 2010). While this is a positive development, it leads to job losses, since those without skills and experience to operate the new technology are rendered redundant. Jim may have been a victim of such developments, explaining why he has not been getting another job. It would be expected that if he had the skills occupational mobility would have been easier. Hence, according to Durkheim, the Protestant ethics lead social problems, such as stress, depression and other anxiety disorders. It leads to social isolation, even in workplace, as people compete with one another. The marital status has, to a certain extent been said to contribute to certain psychological and social problems. For instance, suicide rates were observed to be higher in the married than unmarried was. Other behavioral problems have also been associated with single life. This can also explain why juvenile delinquency is also higher in children without one or both parents (Wilkinson, & Pickett, 2010). The reason behind this argument is that couples enjoy stronger social bonds. They are able to share their experiences, hence may not succumb to stress related problems. In the case of Jim, the loss of his wife broke the only social bond that existed. When this happens, people can engage in self-defeating behavior. According to Durkheim, suicide can also happen, as people loss meaning of life. Intervention Jim’s case has become serious and in need of medical, psychological and sociological intervention. The main goal will be to establish the root cause of the problem. Currently, there is an aspect of posttraumatic disorder that has been caused by the death of his wife. The intervention would be to administer antidepressants to this health problem from degenerating to ailments that are more serious (Wilkinson, & Pickett, 2010). For instance, diabetes and high blood pressure has been associated with depression. The management of depression will also involve psychotherapy. Providing a favorable environment for the patient (Jim) to express his emotional pain will play a significant role in his healing. One of the main challenges, though, is the fact that he may not be affording the hospital bill. His economic status may prevent him from getting quality health. Nevertheless, the health care service providers need to ensure that Jim can get quality health that will help him regain his mental and emotional stability. Jim also needs the psychosocial support. While it is not indicated whether he had any family members, it is imperative that he finds people who will look after him from time to time. One of the persons can be his neighbour who was a close friend of Jim’s wife. If there are any existing family members, they should be encouraged to assist Jim, not only financially, but socially as well. Strong social bonds create a sense of belongingness, and improve one’s self-esteem. It can also lead to positive behavior and enable one respond to social challenges in a more rational way (Wilkinson, & Pickett, 2010). Jim needs to establish strong relationship, also owing to the fact that he is old, and in need of support. Further, the government policies need to be changed to prevent social isolation, which are mostly in the form of marginalization. The increased social problems, such as unemployment and poverty can be attributed to inequitable distribution of resources. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed so that certain sections of the society do not feel isolated, and unappreciated. In conclusion, social exclusion can lead to psychological disorders, such as depression, which can cause health related problems. Establishing strong social bonds can assist in addressing the problem of social exclusion. Men are more affected than women are, since they do not have a huge circle of friends with whom they can share their pain. References Barry, A. and Yuill, C. (2012) Understanding the Sociology of Health.3rd edn. London: Sage Publications. Morrison, V. and Bennett, P. (2012) An introduction to health psychology. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Marmot, M. & Wilkinson, R. (2006) Social determinants of health. 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press Taylor, S, and Field, D. (2007) Sociology of Health and Health Care. Blackwell. Wilkinson, R. & Pickett, K. (2010) The Spirit Level: why greater equality makes societies stronger. New York: Bloomsbury Press. Read More