This report discusses several aspects of health psychologists. Health psychologists can take on different roles in carrying out research, providing and improving health services in hospitals and clinics, carrying out health promotion in communities or working actively in policy and social change to help improve living conditions so that people are enabled to act on their own (Marks & Evans, 2005). In this context Marks & Evans (2005) indicated hat heath psychology has much to offer to a multidisciplinary approach that considers both the environmental context a behavior as key determinants of health.
According to Marks & Evans (2005) the social context of health has received more recognition and health psychologists have been increasingly working with families, workplaces, organizations and communities. Some of the roles found in health psychologists include substance abuse counselor, inpatient-only psychologist, child and Adult psychologist.
Substance abuse counselor
Substance abuse counselor can play the role of collaborating with local schools in order to provide advice students on the effects of substance abuse. They can also coordinate the use of recovery programs and structured programs for substance abuse in conjunction with social workers in order to help substance abusers either in their recovery process or in ensuring that they follow the program given to them by senior psychologists. Substance abuse counselor can also diagnose stress disorders and aid in stress-relief interventions for substance abusers and especially addicts.
Inpatient-only psychologist;
Inpatient-only psychologist can provide treatment for chronic pain in patients with conditions related to chronic pain. They can also utilize various methods to facilitate adjustment and coping skills with patients suffering a chronic or terminal illness. This is very important because it goes inline with their career. According to Marks & Evans (2005) this is inline with disenchantment with biomedical health care among the patients. This has led to a search for alternative perspectives which value the experience of patients and attempt to improve services in light of a understanding of the psychological aspects of health care (Marks & Evans, 2005).
Child psychologist;
Child psychologists can play the role of providing psychological preparation methods for children prior to medical procedures. This helps the child to know in advance what he or she expects to happen after undergoing such a treatment. It also helps children to create a positive attitude towards the awaited treatment. Apart from this obligation child psychologists can collaborate with local schools especially in elementary schools to help children in these schools to understand aspects related to their growth and development.
Adult psychologist:
Adult psychologists play the role of providing psychological preparation methods for adults prior to medical procedures and surgery. This helps the adults to prepare themselves for the treatment which they may be awaiting. Also since stress is associated with the aging majority adult psychologists may help in diagnosing stress disorders and aid in stress-relief interventions in the aging groups of people.
Recommend a fifth job title and assign other health psychology-related duties not listed or related to those above.
Occupational psychologists
The fifth job which may be appropriate is occupational health psychologists. Weiner et, al. (2003) indicated that this category of health psychology is based on maintain a good working environment within an organization. Weiner et, al. (2003) says that it is concerned with designing a conducive working environment that is person- oriented and healthy. Occupational health psychologists deal with individual’s specific concepts such as emotion, anger, and work holism and gender difference predispositions (Weiner et, al. 2003). For example occupational health psychologists may deal with anger which has been found to have lethal role in individual’s life and try to exacerbate the experience of distress and strain within that person.
Identify decision-making criteria and explain rationale behind your assignment of duties to each of the five job titles.
According toCohen, McChargue & Collins (2003) there are unique problems when it comes to assigning duties to health psychologists. This is because there are issues related to professional isolation and the difficulties of communication with other professionals trained with different vocabularies Cohen, McChargue & Collins (2003). In their studies Cohen, McChargue & Collins (2003) indicated that socialization within health psychologists can be very important and play the role of eliminating professional or hierarchical differences among staff and professionals. The rationale of choosing and assigning these duties should be based on the personal effort to achieve their goals and an internal derive of an individual can lead to choosing a more service delivery within the individual.
In addition, Cohen, McChargue & Collins (2003) indicated that the rational of assigning duties should be based on job satisfaction a consequent physical and psychological well being of the health psychologists and the other professionals they work together. This also includes aspects related to individual’s motivation of the health psychologist and productivity. Cohen, McChargue & Collins (2003) continue to say that during this process one should consider improved cost effectiveness of service delivery which includes better use of skills and knowledge of the professional. The rationale should be based on the educational background of the individual, quality of work performance and the mistakes and errors in treatment. Health psychologists should be able to collaborate with other nonmedical health professionals for example those in hospital care. Psychologists should have the models of working with mental health trained nurses in primary care (Cohen, McChargue & Collins, 2003).