Confidence, the key to good health

Show the patient that he is capable of playing a role in his recovery is a more effective strategy than guilt, according to a specialist.

Positivism can help

"Say to the patient: 'Congratulations, that's fine, you do not let you down is more positive and effective than criticize because it makes no effort to lose weight ... maybe that it is, indeed, but he can not do it! Better to give him confidence to increase the chances of change in lifestyle, "said Dr. Jacques Fortin Thursday, a pediatrician and professor of science education, interviewed by Reuters Health.

Professor Fortin spoke on the prevention of mental suffering of children and adolescents at a conference organized by the French Association for the Promotion of School and University Health (AFPSSU) in Paris. He presented the results of an educational program consisting of "from the positive rather than the negative."

"In these schools, we see students' behaviors change over the years," said the doctor, who evaluated four indicators (number of aggressive behaviors, reactions "withdrawals", hyperactivity, pro-sociality). However, these behaviors are related to health, including tobacco, alcohol, drugs or suicidal behavior, he notes.

More generally, this approach to give confidence could be an effective strategy in preventing and managing chronic diseases. "If the doctor does not have an educational approach, it does not get results," according to Dr. Fortin.

Prevention: Provide tools

"Some believe that prevention is the provision of information and then, people do what they want. Others consider prevention as a package and felt the need to tell people what they have to be done. third way, which I support, uses the concept of Anglo-Saxon'' empowerment ', which is to give people the maximum of tools for self-management. " These tools include the knowledge, but also the interpersonal skills, he says.

Regarding the management of chronic diseases related to lifestyle, we know in general how to reduce the environmental factors favoring the disease. However, to achieve "the most important side of knowledge and beliefs factors are the concepts of self-esteem and relationships with others," says Dr. Fortin.

"In hospitals, the devaluation is when, instead of saying, 'Mr. or Mrs. Doe', we say 'the gastro of 10', or 'how it is the little lady?'. Devaluation This clearly indicates the patient that he has no jurisdiction: it promotes passivity and this is not the key to success, as will be seen when conducting studies on the involvement of patients in the healing process in cancer or chronic diseases, including, "insisted the doctor.

Similarly, "when training generalists who are interested in the problem of smoking, it shows them that a guilty smoker is very inefficient, often contrary to what they believe." Indeed, when asked to smokers why they do not stop, the first answer is: I do not do it, he said. Better to focus on the skills of the patient about the dangers of tobacco.

"But in France, our instinct is to begin by informing the problem scientifically. Yet children aged 7 or 8 years know that smoking is bad for health. What I tell my students is that if Smoking is linked to a lack of knowledge about the dangers of smoking, I would like to know why more than 20% of oncologists smoke! "