Psychological Service in Neurological Rehabilitation

Being hospitalized in the ward can be a situation that completely changes a patient's world. From the familiar routine of life, they were used to, patients are now required to adapt to a different environment and reality, which may affect their abilities, functions, relationships, and self-concept, leading to various emotional reactions. The external change brings with it the need for an internal reorganization, processing, and a fresh perspective on life and self as means of preserving continuity in one’s identity and finding ways to adapt to the new situation. 

Spinal cord injury 

Damage to the spinal cord can result in impairments in a person's movement and sensation. The height of the injury site and its severity determine the patient's level of functioning and way of life, as well as their self-perception in the world around them. The consequences of a spinal cord injury are multi-faceted, and therefore developing mental coping strategies is very important. During the psychological treatment, we focus on emotional work that addresses various aspects of the injury such as self-worth, marital relationships, sexual function, questions regarding career and studies. We also focus on processing feelings and emotions arising from the injury. This process is an important first step in a longer journey, that usually extends beyond the department, towards acceptance and fulfilment. 

Brain damage

A brain injury can cause damage to various cognitive and motor skills, as well as triggering significant emotional responses.
The psychologist's work focuses on addressing both the cognitive and emotional aspects. Patients who have experienced a head injury undergo an assessment that serves as a foundation and indication for cognitive therapy which aims to enhance and compensate for any impaired abilities.  On an emotional level, the treatment provides a safe and non-judgmental space for the therapist and the patient to explore together the feelings and emotions that emerged after the injury, as well as how it affects daily life. This includes processing grief and loss, damage to self-image, and more. 

Diagnosis 

Brain damage results in cognitive challenges that impact conversational skills, problem-solving abilities, and simple and complex task performance. To map post-injury damage, a concise evaluation is employed, which offers an overview of key cognitive abilities: attention, perception, processing speed and graphomotorics, memory and learning, and executive function.

Aside from considering the patient's strengths and weaknesses, the assessment also helps map key focal areas for cognitive therapy during hospitalization. This is carried out in collaboration with the occupational therapy team, who provide support for any cognitive difficulties. In some cases, we conduct a comprehensive neuropsychological diagnosis which is designed to provide detailed and in-depth information about the patient's cognitive state.  This information is valuable at a later stage for allowing compensatory measures in higher studies, place of employment, etc.