Anna Chudyba, Anna Hamerla, Anna Kaźmierska, Magdalena Bodera, Dariusz Jastrzębski, Szymon Skoczyński The undervalued role of psychology in pulmonary rehabilitation. Short review

Abstrakt

Pulmonological rehabilitation is a medical intervention aimed at restoring either total or partial function of the respiratory system. It is a form of comprehensive support, which, according to the current definition, should include activities based on cooperation between doctors, physiotherapists and psychologists, as well as on the advice of a nutrition specialist, social support, and occupational therapy. Emotional disorders, especially depression and anxiety, which are increasingly observed in the healthy population, are significantly more common in patients suffering from dyspnea.

Psychological support is a key component of pulmonary rehabilitation, utilizing therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Psychological intervention, combined with pulmonary rehabilitation, reduces the sensation of dyspnea, lowers the frequency of acute exacerbations in COPD patients, helps alleviate anxiety and depression, and improves quality of life. This paper provides an insight into the role of psychologists in pulmonological rehabilitation, both diagnostically and therapeutically.