VIDEO: Psychological resiliency optimizes disease management, positions patients to thrive
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In this video, Laurie Keefer, PhD, Healio’s 2023 Allied Health Provider of the Year, underscores the importance of providing interventions to patients at the time of a GI diagnosis — not just when symptoms of depression or anxiety develop.
“My research has really focused on integration of mind and body interventions for patients living with chronic digestive disorders,” Keefer, an academic health psychologist and director of psychobehavioral research in gastroenterology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said. “I was so honored to receive the Healio Allied Health Provider of the Year Award, given how important it is to me, and hopefully to my colleagues and patients, to make sure we’re approaching all of our patients holistically, recognizing how strong the brain and gut are connected and how important it is to be able to provide interventions in real time to our patients.”
Based on past research, which showed patients with a more flexible outlook on their disease were more likely to engage in positive self-management behaviors, Keefer’s main focus has been to develop psychological resiliency programs at the Mount Sinai Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.
In recent years, Keefer formulated the “resilience five” — five character strengths providers should “treat-to-target” in those with GI disorders — which are disease acceptance, learned optimism, social support, self-regulatory skills and self-efficacy.
“Everyone comes in with some version of these strengths,” Keefer said. “In the resilience five approach, we’re able to help people reach those optimally. We know, no matter what comes their way in life, they’re set up for success and thrive.”
The 2024 Healio Allied Health Provider of the Year Award winner will be announced this October during the Healio Disruptive Innovators ceremony at the ACG annual meeting in Philadelphia.
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