Article

The Post-Traumatic Syndrome and the Role of Patient

Stella G. Kontogianni, Social Anthropologist Msc, Ministry of Culture

Talcott Parsons in his article in the Journal of Health and Society, in the summer of 1975, dealt
extensively with the issue of patient role and social dimensions. of. The first discussion of the role of
the patient took place at the International Sociological Union in Toronto in August 1974. At this
meeting, the delegates argued that Parsons' views on the role of the patient were more concerned with
the cases of patients with sudden illness than with the cases. chronic patients.
Patients with chronic diseases, however, are considered unable to take on the obligations that are for
the healthy. In this sense the role of the patient is the family or culturally acceptable pattern of
behavior that is allowed to manifest during illness or disability, including absence from school or
work, as well as a subordinate dependent relationship with family, staff. health care and
important others. The distinction extends secondarily to the patient's immediate surroundings - to his
parents, partners or children - who again, based on family and culturally acceptable standards of
behavior, adopt the role of caregiver - regardless of the level of knowledge and experience in caring
for one. patient. Observance of rules arising from the guidelines of healthcare staff, the assumption of
obligations that cannot be assumed by the patient, are borne by the caregivers and make them another
special group that is distinguished from the healthy and available productive society.
If one adopts the role of the patient, one seeks the attention of health care providers (doctors, nurses,
pharmacists, physiotherapists, etc.). Patients with chronic illnesses often suffer from the side effects of
medication or the treatments they need to take, so they are more prone to emotional disorders. It is in
this context that mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists,
counselors) who are in turn required to demonstrate empathy and understanding of the patient's
condition are involved. The role of mental health professionals is to contribute to a smoother and more
positive adaptation of an individual to the role of the patient. The distinction between accepting "I'm
sick" and feeling "I'm not sick" is a constant struggle.
Health behaviors shape health and well-being in individuals and populations. Based on recent research,
we look at the applications of the widely used "social determinants" approach to health behaviors. This
approach shifts the lens from individual distribution and responsibility to social organization and the
myriads of institutions, structures, inequalities, and ideologies that influence health behaviors. Recent
research incorporates a perspective of social determinants with bio-social approaches to the dynamics
of health behavior. Empirical progress reflects the model of social, psychological and biological
factors. Behaviors in the health sector are increasingly recognized as multidimensional and integrated
into the lifestyle, varying throughout life and throughout the world and reflecting the dialectic between
structure and agency that requires the placement of individuals in the context. Advances in measuring
and modeling health behaviors promise to enhance the representations of this complexity1.
Dealing with "separate" social factors that influence the role of the patient is reflected in

1Social Determinants and Health Behaviors: Conceptual Frames and Empirical Advances
Susan E. Short, Stefanie Mollborn
Curr Opin Psychol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Psychol. 2015 Oct; 5: 78–84. doi: 10.1016 / j.copsyc.2015.05.002
PMCID: PMC4511598
the recent framework of the "Healthy People 2020" program, published by the US
Department of Health and Human Services, which states:
"Health behaviors and well-being are determined by multi-level influences, including
personal (ie biological, psychological), organizational / institutional, environmental (and
social and physical) and political levels ... Historically, - determine the determinants of
health and interventions. "

The patient is considered to be in a position that is not his choice, but that is why he needs
protection from the wider social environment, as a weaker, more vulnerable and more
exposed to situations that may worsen the already difficult situation in which At the same
time that the patient's social role is associated with involuntary vulnerability - a deviation
from the healthy state, at the same time the social environment assumes the responsibility
of protecting it. From these two distinct roles many issues arise for investigation and
examination.
On the one hand, the role of the patient gives the person the opportunity to stay away from
anything that may burden his position, on the other hand, he gives healthy people in the
environment an increased responsibility for his protection and at the same time an
opportunity to put pressure on him. The role of the patient can give the person a passive-
aggressive force, and the role of the healthy can give to the individual being able to make
decisions on behalf of the patient.
Another issue that arises in this case is that of quality of life. The World Health
Organization defines Quality of Life “as a person's perception of his or her place in life in
the context of the culture and value systems in which he or she lives and in relation to his
or her goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. It is a broad concept that is complexly
influenced by a person's physical health, psychological state, personal beliefs, social
relationships and their relationship to the characteristics of their environment. ”2

2https://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/whoqol-qualityoflife/en/ , Accessed 19-3-2020