ABSTRACT
Social and psychological factors have a prominent role in the person’s response to their diagnosis and the subsequent involvement in health-related behaviors, in turn impacting functional recovery and overall clinical course. There is an ever-growing body of empirical literature that suggests that a patient’s perceptions of health, as well as psychosocial factors, influence the likelihood that the patient will engage in health-promoting behaviors or adhere to treatment recommendations. The biopsychosocial model emphasizes the importance of understanding human health, illness, and functioning by considering the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors. The biopsychosocial model has natural applications within geriatric rehabilitation, particularly given the additional factors that one must consider with the older adult. Along the spectrum of responses to illness/injury, some individuals will experience symptoms of an adjustment disorder, which can include any combination of depressed mood, anxiety, or behavioral changes in response to a stressor.
