Giornale di Clinica Nefrologia e Dialisi · Published 2026-02-09 · DOI 10.33393/gcnd.2026.3630
In contemporary nephrology and dialysis care, oriented toward developing care more closely connected to the person’s resources, needs, beliefs, and opinions, it is important to adopt a comprehensive, systemic approach useful for advancing care in nephrology and dialysis from a personalized, patient-oriented perspective: health psychology. Health psychology aims to promote an integrated understanding of health and illness and to facilitate the integration of biomedical and psychological knowledge through research, education, and professional activities in nephrology and dialysis care. It considers not only integrated aspects of disease state, types of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, but also factors related to social, cultural, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities. Another systemic variable is health and well-being in the workplace as an element influencing a person’s psychosomatic balance. In a vision of care based on the biopsychosocial and systemic model, health psychology connects, in a circular way with feedback dynamics, modern lifestyles with people’s mental health, where stress-management processes are central in the genesis and disruption of mind–body balance. Health psychology also regards the health and psychological well-being of healthcare providers as determinants strongly influencing the quality of care. It brings elements for reflection, comparison, and design in nephrology and dialysis care, integrating psychological, physical, technological, and social components. By considering these dimensions, health psychology strengthens patient-centered practice and offers a systemic perspective that supports both patients and providers. It provides tools to understand complex interactions, guide interventions, and promote holistic care that addresses biological, psychological, and social factors in modern nephrology and dialysis settings.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
Read the article at the publisher →