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Health psychology will take centre stage at the new APS conference
Health professionals should screen for depression and anxiety as well as physical factors when it comes to detecting and treating metabolic syndrome, according to the results of a new study.
In her two-year Deakin University doctoral study, health psychologist Nicole Jeffrey-Dawes found higher rates of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors that raises the risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke, among farm men and women compared to the general population. Ms Jeffrey-Dawes has recommended GPs and primary care nurses use a simple self-report measure, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), when detecting and treating metabolic syndrome in a bid to improve health outcomes. The two-year study used data, collated through the Sustainable Farm Families program, involving 357 participants in the first Ms Jeffrey-Dawes, who is based in Kununurra in the East Kimberley region of northern Western Australia where she works as a youth mental health practitioner for Anglicare WA, found depression was linked to the development of metabolic syndrome, while both depression and anxiety were involved in the maintenance of metabolic syndrome. Ms Jeffrey-Dawes said farm men and women often have poorer health outcomes and experience unique economic, environmental and psychological stressors compared to the general population. “In primary health care, when people come in and they might be meeting three of the five factors for metabolic syndrome, rather than treating the physical symptoms they should also actually screen for depression and anxiety, and have treatment with a psychologist alongside it,” she said. “It makes sense. When people are depressed they are less likely to eat properly and exercise because they just don’t feel like it. “If that’s treated alongside the physical symptoms the chances are they will improve their physical outcomes.” Ms Jeffrey-Dawes said it was important to consider a holistic approach to health. “The holistic nature of physical health is a big one. We can’t look at treating the physical symptoms without looking at the psychological aspect of it and looking at the whole person.” Ms Jeffrey-Dawes will present the findings of her study at the inaugural Australian Psychological Society’s Health Psychology Conference 2013 being held in Cairns from April 5-6. About 120 delegates are expected to attend the two-day APS conference with the theme ‘improving community and individual health’. Related articles: as
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