Psychologists’ perception of professional training and care for people with painABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pain is a phenomenon with biopsychosocial dimensions, therefore it requires specialized knowledge, and represents one of the demands on the Psychologist who works in the health area. This study aims to understand the aspects related to the training and practice of the psychologist in the treatment of people with chronic pain.
METHODS This is an exploratory and descriptive field of research of a qualitative nature. For data collection, a questionnaire applied online through Google Forms was used. Ten psychologists who work in the clinical area participated in the research. This is a convenience sample. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative contents were analyzed through content analysis.
RESULTS Psychologists reported a lack of curricular components related to pain in undergraduate courses. Most participants had taken specialized courses in this area of activity. Participants reported that the motivation to work in the area involves the complexity of the phenomenon, the acquisition of knowledge from other areas and the achievement of positive results in the care provided. In the context of treatment, the psychologist's main role is to contribute to the patient's understanding of some aspects of pain, assist in the development of coping strategies and in the management of symptoms associated with this condition. Among the interventions offered, the psychologist uses relaxation techniques, which helps the patient to identify aspects that contribute to pain, restructures dysfunctional beliefs and contributes to the development of more effective strategies to reduce pain and physical disability, as well as the stress associated with this condition.
CONCLUSION Given the prevalence of chronic pain in the population, the results found suggest that it is necessary to think about ways to include this content in undergraduate courses. On the other hand, although we have a small number of professionals working in this area, this practice seems to be effective, and the professionals are satisfied with their performance.
Keywords:
Chronic pain; Curriculum; Psychology
HIGHLIGHTS
The curriculum of undergraduate psychology courses lacks specific content on pain
The deficit during undergraduate studies contributes to the lack of knowledge among professionals about the possibilities for psychologists to work in this area
Psychologists who work with chronic pain report having to seek further training on this subject in specialization courses, with significant gains in the effectiveness of treatment and psychological monitoring of patients