Giora Kaplan

The research team in the area of Psychosocial Aspects of Health was established in July 2001. This area deals with the relationships of psychological, social and cultural variables with disease and other health issues. The research fields include etiology, prevention, coping with illness, utilization of health services and compliance with medical directives. In addition the Unit deals with the psychosocial implications of health policy and organization of health services.

Goals:

• To increase awareness and activities dealing with psychosocial aspects of medical treatments
• To encourage, support and evaluate intervention programs which are intended to assist and facilitate coping with illness and medical treatment
• To bring to the attention of health policymakers the social implications of health policy and organization of medical services
• To reflect and express the viewpoint of the health consumer and the attitudes, perceptions and expectations of population groups of different cultural backgrounds
• To encourage a holistic, humanistic, socially-conscious attitude towards health, in the broad socio-cultural context
• To integrate into the health sciences the relevant bodies of knowledge of the various behavioral and social science disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and social work

Guiding Principles:

• The primary research focus is on applied and policy-oriented research
• Varied quantitative and qualitative research approaches are employed
• Development of joint projects is fostered with other units of Gertner Institute, as well as with other elements of the health system
• The Unit is utilized in a professional advisory capacity by other units of Gertner Institute
• In addition to the primary research activities, the Unit strives to influence national health policy by preparing position papers, participating in committees and forums in which health policy is determined, and encouraging and supporting parties and interventions with emphasis on the goals of the Unit.

Activities:

1. Evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral intervention among women undergoing in-vitro-fertilization

2. Survey of adolescents who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union (FSU)

3. Coping with illness among new immigrants from the FSU who are being treated in the Gyneco-Oncology Department of the Sheba Medical Center

4. Postpartum depression (PPD)

5. Relaying information to breast cancer patients

6. Discharge planning from hospital

7. Family functioning in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

8. Evaluation of the Child-At-Risk round table meetings

9.Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Health in three population groups in Israel

10.The lay definition of health and sickness

Joint Projects with other units of the Gertner Institute:

1. Information on rights of the insured under the National Health Insurance Law - Availability, content and modes of dissemination (with the Unit for Health Rights and Ethics)

2. Appropriateness of oncogenetic testing for breast/ovarian cancer in Israel (with the Cancer Epidemiology Unit)

3. Personnel planning for Traumatology (with the Trauma Research Unit)

4. GOH study: Subjective health and characteristics of unknown cases of diabetes (with the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit)

5. Health Parliament: public consultation on health priorities (Gertner Institute Project)

The research team in the area of Psychosocial Aspects of Health was established