Psychosocial and Biomedical Models of Health and Illness

ASS072-1 Introduction to
Health and Social Care

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
This report discusses about the psychosocial and biomedical models which can have an
impact on health and illness of people. There models are considered as determinants of health
behaviours and the aim of this report is to identify the how psychosocial and biomedical
determinants of health can have an impact on the health and illness of an individual. This report
compares and contrasts the two models of health and illness and also includes the risk taking
behaviours and social factors which have an impact on the health of an individual in different
social class. Psychosocial model is a model which looks at an individual's within the context of
combined influence of various psychological factors as well as surrounding social environment
may have on the mental and physical wellness and their ability to function in an individual. Thus
model is proposing that social ad biological factors combined together with the individual's
personal experience may lead to the mental disorder due to the conjoint effects on the
psychosocial process (McGregor, Mercer and Harris, 2018). Some of the psychosocial factors
may include loneliness, social support, marriage, status, work environment, social disruption,
bereavement and social integration. There is a relationship between physical body and
psychological factors which can be easily influenced by the social factor that can have an impact
on mental and physical health of an individual. There are also various psychosocial issues like
depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, violence. This approach is being used in different range to
help professionals in health and social care setting. On the other hand, biomedical model of
health primarily focuses on the biological factors of an individual and it totally excludes the
social, psychological and even environmental influences. This model is considered as a leading
modern way for helping the health care professionals to identify and treat various health
conditions in most of the western countries of the world (Coughlan and Cronin, 2016). This
model is surrogate of human biological system which can be used to understand the abnormal or
normal function from gene to phenotype and then provide the basis of therapeutic or preventive
interventions. This model has been evolved from many years of improvements within the
medical science and technology which has resulted in increase in cure as well as treatments for
example increase in immunisations or vaccinations. It also emphasis on the diagnosing and
treatment of individuals by separating the treatment from their lifestyles or living conditions.
This model of health and illness focuses on the illness, diseases or any sort of disabilities and
making attempts to cure them and try to return normal physical health of a person. This is the