Miriam Sanchez Reyes
Hospital Universitario del sureste, Spain
Title: Health social work and modern Neuroscience: An indivisible binomial for quality psychosocial care in patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases
Biography
Biography: Miriam Sanchez Reyes
Abstract
The knowledge of modern Neuroscience has allowed to identify the origin of some neurodegenerative diseases, thus contributing to the development of more effective therapeutic and surgical strategies that are providing the affected people with greater independence and a better quality of life. In addition, this neuroscientific knowledge is providing relevant psychosocial knowledge and a better understanding of the human being, a field of action of Social Work.
Both the knowledge of modern Neuroscience and its contribution to social problems, as well as to behavioral phenomena and to the human condition at large, has important consequences for mental health and social well-being. It is therefore essential knowledge for the practice of health social workers. Such neuroscientific knowledge provides a new way of examining and addressing problems and can help them to improve their interventions with the different people they assist.
Health social workers are the health field professionals who deal with the psychosocial aspects of patients; in this case, patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromuscular Diseases or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Therefore, it is essential that they have training on the most basic aspects of the human brain, such as: structure, functioning, how, the influence of psychosocial factors develops how it becomes ill or the treatments that can be used.
The pairing of Health Social Work and Modern Neuroscience means having more efficient and better trained professionals, and therefore, offering a higher quality psychosocial care to patients with neurodegenerative diseases.