Validate patients

"FARMER: So she says the biggest job of these long COVID clinics is still to validate patients and give them some hope."

Context: There are plenty of long COVID patients across the US with no clear path to a cure, let alone concrete underlying causes. But some specialty clinics are trying to help those patients.

Question: What does "validate" mean here? I guess it won't be necessary when people actually have symptoms and need validation of their illness from other people even if a professional. It's not something psychological, but an actual disease and no one denies it.

Source: Long COVID clinics are wrestling with how to treat their patients

Give them acknowledgment, understanding.

nagomi said:

It's not something psychological, but an actual disease and no one denies it.

That's true, but the right psychological approach can boost their morale in fighting their condition or prevent them developing other illnesses such as depression.

grassy said:

Give them acknowledgment, understanding.

That's true, but the right psychological approach can boost their morale in fighting their condition or prevent them developing other illnesses such as depression.

I get that everyone needs a morale boost especially when they're ill, but I can't really see how "validate" a patient. This is quite a new approach to me and in my country. Do medical professional say something along the liens of 'yes, you're a COVID patient'? What would you imagine to hear for validation in this context?

I'm sure there's lots of literature on patient-doctor psychology.

nagomi said:

What would you imagine to hear for validation in this context?

For example: I understand what you're going through and how hard this must be for you.

nagomi said:

This is quite a new approach to me and in my country. Do medical professional say something along the liens of 'yes, you're a COVID patient'? What would you imagine to hear for validation in this context?

I'd expect "This is not just your imagination [or something similar]. You have some of the symptoms of long COVID." It's a response to a patient who thinks they might not have an identifiable, "legitimate" medical issue.