Quality Standards for Diabetes Care Toolkit

Implementation examples / innovations

Massey University Health Conditions Psychology Service

Massey University Health Conditions Psychology Service for adults and young people with long-term health conditions and their families/whānau.

‘We offer short to medium term (usually 6–8 sessions) psychology services for adults and young people and families/whānau. We tend to focus on specific goals which we decide on in collaboration with you and we also refer to other services if needed. Our service is completely confidential. Our team is made up of experienced clinical psychologists. We assist people diagnosed with a long-term health condition and their families/whānau cope with, and adjust to, their illness. We see people who live in the MidCentral region, who are dealing with or adjusting to a long term medical condition. These include:

diabetes

asthma

COPD

cystic fibrosis

heart conditions

renal failure

other illnesses affecting children and adolescents

family/whānau members including husbands, wives, partners, parents, sisters and brothers.

There are a number of challenges you might face with a long-term health condition. For example you might feel distressed or overwhelmed, or you might be having some trouble adjusting to your condition. These issues can really affect people, making it hard to cope. Psychological skills are important resources which will help you (and your family/whānau) to:

manage stress associated with the condition

deal with physical symptoms like pain, panic attacks and sleep problems

manage fears, anxiety or depression

improve relationship skills and build up support networks

work with your health professionals

make decisions and solve problems around living with the condition

provide balance in dealing with health difficulties and getting on with everyday life.’

For more information: www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/departments/school-of-psychology/psychology-services/manawatu/services/health-conditions-service.cfm.