At what point after a spinal cord injury is a psychological evaluation made? - Michelle Meade, PhD
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At what point after a spinal cord injury is a psychological evaluation made? |
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Michelle Meade, PhDPsychologist, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor |
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Transcript
Psychologist can be involved immediately after the injury to years after. A couple of my patients are 30 years post injury, and the issues that they deal with now are those with aging with injury. They were able to snap back after the initial spinal cord injury, they powered through it, they went back to work, they figured out how to live and suddenly their body is slowing down. And so they then get in ruts, and hopefully someone notices and says “Let me send you someone who may help and try and figure out what’s going on.” Initially though, as I said, it can happen right away, and it shouldn’t be this big “Oh this is a psychological evaluation!” For me, being a psychologist on a rehab unit is about figuring out who the person is, and where the currently are and helping to nudge the process. If there are problems that come up, yeah, there might be a more in-depth assessment, and let me look at that. But, I think all the team members have to focus on learning about the individual—their strengths and promoting both the right environment that’s tailored to those strengths and that individual, and helping to do the attitude adjustment that’s important for both the individual and the familly.
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At what point after a spinal cord injury is a psychological evaluation made? |
||
Michelle Meade, PhDPsychologist, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor |
More Videos by Michelle Meade | |
Transcriptadd | share |
Psychologist can be involved immediately after the injury to years after. A couple of my patients are 30 years post injury, and the issues that they deal with now are those with aging with injury. They were able to snap back after the initial spinal cord injury, they powered through it, they went back to work, they figured out how to live and suddenly their body is slowing down. And so they then get in ruts, and hopefully someone notices and says “Let me send you someone who may help and try and figure out what’s going on.” Initially though, as I said, it can happen right away, and it shouldn’t be this big “Oh this is a psychological evaluation!” For me, being a psychologist on a rehab unit is about figuring out who the person is, and where the currently are and helping to nudge the process. If there are problems that come up, yeah, there might be a more in-depth assessment, and let me look at that. But, I think all the team members have to focus on learning about the individual—their strengths and promoting both the right environment that’s tailored to those strengths and that individual, and helping to do the attitude adjustment that’s important for both the individual and the familly.