Mental and Spiritual Health
Mind body techniques offer one approach to addressing the mental and spiritual healthcare needs of patients suffering from diabetes. This unit provides an overview of the following mind-body approaches:
(Mike Nielsen, Autumn Road, flickr. CC: BY-SA 2.0.)
Mental and spiritual health are as important to wellness as physical health. Physicians have the ability to improve the overall health of patients by addressing these topics but, unfortunately, such discussion is often neglected by health care professionals. Improvement in patient health can happen in two ways:
First, physicians have the ability to alter the disease process by engaging in dialogue with their patients about mental and spiritual health issues – i.e., use of mind-body techniques can lower the blood pressure and stress levels of patients suffering from diabetes.
Second, by including mental and spiritual health considerations in treatment planning, physicians provide an opportunity for patients to actively engage in management of their diabetes. This involvement increases the likelihood of long-term patient compliance.
For additional information regarding mind-body therapies, see the Mind-Body Overview unit and/or the Guided Imagery unit.