title: Psychosocial adaptation: an evolutionary concept analysis exploring a common multidisciplinary language.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide the first known concept analysis of psychosocial adaptation, exploring its evolution from the concept adaptation. We also determine how psychosocial adaptation is conceptualized across nursing, health, sociobehavioural and education disciplines.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Psychosocial adaptation is an important conceptual term that is poorly defined in nursing and other health, sociobehavioural and education disciplines. A thorough understanding of the concept's application in nursing and across disciplines can help to clarify its meaning, facilitate a more effective common language between disciplines and inform future psychosocial adaptation research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rodger's evolutionary view guided this concept analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peer-reviewed English and Spanish manuscripts published between 2011-2013 were retrieved from the following databases: CINAHL, Psych INFO, PubMed, Scopus and LILACS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine articles related to psychosocial adaptation were included in the analysis. Findings identify key attributes, antecedents and consequences associated with the use of the concept. Findings were compared vis-a-vis reported characteristics of adaptation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The attributes characterizing psychosocial adaptation are: change, process, continuity, interaction and influence. In psychosocial adaptation, new life conditions serve as antecedents, while consequences are good or bad outcomes. Important features of the evolution of this concept include its broad appropriation across the reviewed disciplines. The attributes of psychosocial adaptation, have some similarities to those of general adaptation. Both concepts include an aspect of change, but unlike adaptation, psychosocial adaptation has branched away from biological descriptors, such as homeostasis and tends to focus on relational characteristics, such as interaction and influences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Yenly
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Londono
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Diana E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: McMillan
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007802:Language; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009732:Nursing Care; D012917:Social Adjustment; D066252:Sociological Factors; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: adaptation; concept analysis; multidisciplinary; nurses; nursing; psychosocial