Why Long-Term Hospital Patients Need Mental Health Support

When a person enters long-term care for a serious illness, the focus is usually (and understandably) on treating the biological ailment. What these patients and their families eventually learn, however, is that the mind needs as much help as the body.

Our founder saw this firsthand when his own young son was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors and nurses did everything they could to fight the disease, but the emotional struggle was almost as significant. That led him to found Rain of Light, which seeks to close a crucial gap in treatment and recovery.

Why do long-term hospital patients need mental health support so crucially? In this post we’ll look at a few of the biggest reasons. We can begin with one that isn’t always obvious…

Long-Term Illness and Hospitalization Are Both Traumatic

Getting the news that you are seriously ill, and perhaps even receiving a terminal diagnosis, can be crushing on its own. When you combine that with the sense of fear and isolation that comes with being put into a hospital for months on end, it can feel overwhelming.

Many patients who visit the hospital for an extended period of time experience depression, along with the sense that their entire lives have been disrupted. They are pulled away from their normal routines and social circles – including family, friends, coworkers, and pets – and placed in an environment where it’s difficult to sleep or relax. In fact, the only constant is the reminder of how ill they are.

By providing mental and emotional care to those who are battling disease, we offer a chance to regain balance and control. In some ways that can be as critical as the medicines they receive throughout their treatment.

Doctors Can Only Treat Physical Ailments and Prescribe Medications

When you are admitted into a hospital with a serious diagnosis, the physicians you meet concentrate on fighting the disease through a combination of medicines and physical therapies. As strong as antibiotics and procedures like chemotherapy are, though, they can’t do much to improve your mental or emotional state. In fact, many strong medications have adverse psychological side effects.

Doctors know this, but don’t have the time or expertise to treat their patients psychologically. That means the burden of care and responsibility can be shifted to nurses. Hospitals are chronically short-staffed and underfunded, so asking medical professionals to do more isn’t a sustainable solution.

Besides, nurses don’t have the training to offer mental or emotional therapy, either. That means they’ll do it badly or won’t attempt to engage in these issues at all. This even applies to situations where the patient is obviously struggling with the psychological side of their diagnosis. There just isn’t a framework in place to ease the burden of caregivers or the people they’re trying to help.

The Families of Long-Term Patients Need Support, Too

Those receiving devastating news about an illness suffer the most psychologically. However, their families can also be left needing therapy and support. That’s especially true if the patient is a young child. In those instances there can be worry, trauma, and even a sense of guilt for those who have escaped the disease themselves.

There are surprisingly few options for parents and family members who are dealing with serious illnesses. Most hospitals have a chaplain or social worker who can help during the first few hours of a tough diagnosis, but loved ones are usually on their own after that.

It can often be the case that long-term hospital patients worry more about their families than their own well-being. By stepping in with counseling sessions, talk therapy, and other interventions for seriously ill individuals and the people who love them, we can take away much of the anxiety that hangs over the family. That can make it easier to manage care while also giving the patient higher odds of making a full recovery.

Want to Help Rain of Light Offer Assistance to Patients and Their Families?

Offering mental and emotional support to those suffering from serious illnesses doesn’t just make them feel better. It can also improve health outcomes and relieve the burden of care on hospital staff.

If you’d like to be involved, visit our support page now to see how you can help.