Psychology approaches in neuro rehabilitation: assessments
We already explained what an Acquired Brain Injury is, which not only comprises traumatic incidents or strokes, but neurodegenerative diseases too. And the most appropriate treatments and interventions (if you missed it, check out the post HERE!).
And, although treatment is important, assessment is even more! First, you have to nail what the difficulties are in order to develop a treatment plan that addresses those areas. In this post, we will briefly explain what are the main areas that should be assessed and how to do it.
According to the British Psychological Society’s definition «Neuropsychology investigates the links between damage to a particular part of the brain and changes in thinking, feeling and behaviour. Clinical neuropsychology applies this knowledge to assessing and treating people with brain injuries and other conditions that affect how the brain functions».
The not so new concept of ‘Biopsychosocial approach’ means that every individual must be understood in their complexity from different perspectives, avoiding reductionisms. Psychology avoids performing a couple of tests to check the cognitive abilities (how the brain works) and writing down a simplistic report about someone. Instead, psychology tries to assess how the individual behaves, how their mood is, and how they think and their brain work; and then, putting all of these in context to get the clearest picture as possible about their mental health.
Behaviour
Refers to the way people act and interact with the world around them. Behavioural problems can be caused by a variety of factors, including brain injury, mental health conditions such as learning disabilities, and environmental factors.
Normally this area focuses on assessing behaviours that challenge with ABC charts – as we explained in our latest post and you can check out HERE. This typically occurs when the insult into the brain has been large. However, the applicability of the ABC charts is vast, and these can be used to track responses towards thoughts, feelings, or social interactions.
Additionally, there are some kind of inventories that use the presence/absence of skills and behaviours to gauge people’s abilities. Following the assessment, an intervention plan can be put in place to acquire a new range of skills and behaviours for activities in daily living of social contexts.
Cognition
Refers to the way we think and process information. In other words, people’s cognitive abilities. Cognition is the expression of how our brain works towards behaviours and capabilities.
It includes our attention, memory, language, and executive functioning. Cognitive problems can be caused by a variety of factors, including brain injury, dementia, and learning disabilities.
Emotional
Refers to the way we feel and express our emotions. It includes mood, personality, and coping skills. Furthermore, emotional status includes detection and expression of emotions and self-regulation.
Emotional problems can be caused by a variety of factors, including brain injury, mental health conditions, and stressful life events.
We at ABM Psychological Services know that the behavioural, cognitive, and emotional domains are all interconnected, so it is important to assess all three domains when evaluating a person with a brain injury or other cognitive impairment. This will help to identify the specific areas of difficulty and develop a treatment plan that addresses these areas.
Contact us today to learn more about how ABM Psychological Services and our PMaaS solution can help you and your particular care organisation’s needs.