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Conclusion

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Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice

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Abstract

Psychological stress, pain, negative emotions, malodour, high exudate levels, social isolation, sleep and mobility problems are just some of the negative consequences of living with a wound. The subsequent psychological effects can have a severe impact on an individual’s quality of life and their well-being. The evidence suggests that these psychological factors not only influence the occurrence of further wounds, but they also exacerbate the severity of a wound and affect its ability to heal, resulting in the individual having to endure further psychological problems as a consequence- a vicious circle that clinicians must be aware of when treating patients with wounds. This chapter explores some of the negative consequences of a wound and how some psychological resources can help both the clinician and, more importantly, the patient and their family. Summarizing the material presented elsewhere in this book and highlighting the clinical relevance, this chapter demonstrates the importance of psychology in both the experience of living with a wound and effective wound care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Aust Capital Terr, Australia

    Dominic Upton

  2. Institute of Health and Society, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK

    Penney Upton

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  1. Dominic Upton
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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Upton, D., Upton, P. (2015). Conclusion. In: Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09653-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09653-7_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09652-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09653-7

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