Social Determinants of Health

This assignment delves into the concept of social determinants of health from a sociological perspective. It focuses on functionalism as a theory explaining how individual health and work contribute to societal progress. The analysis highlights the importance of individual well-being for the overall success of society and its economy.

Sociological
and
Psychological
Perspectives
on Health

Table of Contents
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Patient details and history...........................................................................................................3
How can sociological and psychological concepts help us to develop a better understanding of
the service users..........................................................................................................................3
The relationship between culture and concepts of health and disease relating to both case
studies..........................................................................................................................................3
Observational Record..................................................................................................................4
Role of healthcare policy and influencing factors.......................................................................9
Illness and the impact on healthcare provision...........................................................................9
Evaluation of interventions/approaches....................................................................................10
REFRENCES.................................................................................................................................13

MAIN BODY
Patient details and history
Raj: He is depended person and his family consider him as an individual having mental
health. He is also having diabetes of type 2 as well as he is dependent upon his wife for food.
Along with this he didn't have any social life which develop stress in their life, it can also leads
to level of suicide (Zeanah, 2018). Major reason which leads to illness of Raj are this
surrounding and social class as well as particulars area is also have noise and air pollution. He is
also having lack of openness due to which he didn't like change and resists to new ideas.
Lucy: She is working as a carer and she is suffering from depression due to society as
well as due to her within the family. Lucy's culture and social life is not good because she is
addicted to drinking, smoking as well as she is also not having social life. She is also suffering
from various health issues which is due to her age. Lucy is suffering from ID due which she
refuse to seek help from others as well as she is also having problem while communicating with
others due to which resists new ideas. Along with this she is suffering from Asthma and
depression.
How can sociological and psychological concepts help us to develop a better understanding
of the service users
By Sociological and psychological concept an individual able to understand feeling,
emotions and thoughts of an other person. In case of Raj as well as Lucy, by sociological and
psychological concept an individual can understand their through and emotion by which they
able to know why these peoples act and react like this, this will help them in communicating this
in effective as well as appropriately manner (George, 2018). Such as in case of Lucy, by both
the concepts peoples able to understand why she take alcohol and smoking as well as why she is
depressed. Through this peoples understand situation and act accordingly so that Lucy feel
comfortable with them.
The relationship between culture and concepts of health and disease relating to both case
studies.
It is essential for a peoples to understand culture and concept of health and disease in
effective manner so that they can react and communicate in respective manner through which
another individual feel comfortable. In respect of both case study, Culture of Lucy is that she

belong to environment where more alcohol are intake and smoking are done so it is essential for
other peoples and family members to understand their culture and try to encourage them to leave
all this because by it they are affecting their health as well as culture (Ramírez, 2017). Along in
respect of concept of Raj he is suffering from depression as well as he is fully dependent on other
for conducting any work. So it is also essential for other individual to understand them in
effective manner and react accordingly.
Observational Record
Sociological and
psychological concepts to
consider in care planning
Raj Lucy
Income £3,200 per month £4,000 per month
Social class Ill because of social
class
Job/low paid work
Education Masters Graduate
Ethnicity Diet, Diabetes Asthma
Gender Male- At risk of suicide,
physical work.
Female- More prone to
depression or is this because
of society and
exploitation/role within the
family.
Job roles Sales manager Carer
Cultural influences Lifestyle, no time to cook,
family views of mental
health, dependent on wife to
cook.
Drinking, smoking, no social
life.
Mental health  PTSD – impact on
physical health
 Type 2 Diabetes
 Depression- Impact
on physical health
 Asthma

Stages of development Depression Depression
Personality  Defence mechanisms
– Denial &
displacement – is he
in denial about the
accident, guilt, using
alcohol to cope
 Id, ego, superego –
stuck in Id.
 Unconscious/
conscious mind –
feelings and buried
due to trauma
 Lack of openness –
doesn’t like change,
resists new ideas
 Introvert – doesn’t
want to be around
people, is quiet
 Use of extrinsic
motivation – reward
him for attending
therapy.
 Defence mechanisms
– Denial &
displacement – is she
in denial, using
alcohol to cope
 Id, ego, superego –
suffering from Id.
Refusing to seek help
 Unconscious/
conscious mind –
feelings and buried
due to trauma
 Lack of openness –
doesn’t like change,
resists new ideas
 Introvert – doesn’t
want to be around
people, is quiet
 Use of extrinsic
motivation – reward
her for attending
therapy.
Raj
Assessment of Need Treatment/Who would be involved and their role
Medical treatment
required for mental and
physical health, including
medication and therapy
Treatment- Medication
Involved peoples- Psychiatrist
Potential risks to own well
being and safety and to the
safety of others
Support required if
service user finds
themselves in crisis
Treatment- Inform family members and contact to doctors and
psychiatrist.
Involved peoples-Family members, doctors, nurses,
psychiatrist.
Any needs service user
may have as a result of
problems with alcohol or
drugs (medication,
treatment, support)
Treatment- Medication and treatment
Involved peoples-Psychiatrist and doctor

Personal circumstances
including family and
carers With Wife
Financial
circumstances/needs
Rich
Housing circumstances/
needs Appropriate
Employment and
education needs Unemployed
Support services involved Involvement of Wife
Lucy
Assessment of Need Treatment/Who would be involved and their role
Medical treatment
required for mental and
physical health, including
medication and therapy
Treatment- Medication
Involved peoples- Psychiatrist
Potential risks to own
well being and safety and
to the safety of others
Support required if
service user finds
themselves in crisis
Treatment- Inform family members and contact to doctors and
psychiatrist.
Involved peoples-Family members, doctors, nurses, psychiatrist.
Any needs service user
may have as a result of
problems with alcohol or
drugs (medication,
treatment, support)
Treatment- Medication and treatment
Involved peoples-Psychiatrist and doctor
Personal circumstances
including family and
carers
With family
Financial
circumstances/needs
Rich
Housing circumstances/
needs In appropriate
Employment and
education needs
Employed
Support services involved Involvement of family

Psychological theories used when caring for service users to enable positive behaviour
change
Interventions/approaches Raj - Rationale
Social learning theory How does this encourage positive behaviour change?
This theory is developed by Albert Bandura, it is consider as
combination of attention, memory and motivation which they
gain from society for leaving their life appropriately and
happy (Holt-Lunstad and Uchino, 2015). By adopting this
theory Raj able to understand importance of society and try to
become extrovert.
Outcomes/Review By this they Raj able to life his life happily and appropriately.
Along with this he also able to overcome his depression and
this will also help him in avoiding alcohol on regular basis.
He will also able to interact society or peoples in
appropriately and effective manner.
Interventions/approaches Lucy - Rationale
Developmental psychology
theory
How does this encourage positive behaviour change?
This theory is developed by Thomas Samuel Kuhn, according
to which an individual must change their emotions and
thinking according to situation as well as condition which
help them in conducting work in effective manner. So it is
essential that Lucy must adopt this theory so that she can
understand feeling and through of their family members and
society in proper as well as effective manner.
Outcomes/Review By this Lucy able to understand feeling, emotions and thought
of other peoples or family members. By this she also able to
communicate with society in effective way that help her in
getting over from depression in appropriately manner (Yan
and et.al., 2016).
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Role of healthcare policy and influencing factors
Increasing access
to mental health
services:
 They must lead an essential information which revolution around mental
health and its well being
.
 They must be establish clear waiting time
limits for mental health services.
Improving the
quality of life of
people with
mental health
problems:
 People with mental health problems will live healthier lives and longer lives
 More people with mental health problems will live in
homes that support recovery
Illness and the impact on healthcare provision
Mitigating approaches related to different
Sociological perspectives:-
Raj-
 Functionalism: It refers to contribution of each and every individual in the growth of
society (Feeney and Collins, 2015). So it is necessary for every person to keep
themselves healthy and happy so that they can conduct their work in effective as well as
appropriately manner. In respect of Raj he must be listen to their family and doctors in
order (doctors and family members) to maintain their life in effective and appropriate
manner.
Lucy-
 Functionalism: In case of Lucy she also must consider advice of other and avoid smoking
and drinking because it is affecting their life as well as working. This is so because if she
do smoking and drinking on regular basis then she will affect her life, which will directly
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impact on her working due to which growth of society also get influenced in negative
manner (Reid, 2017). So it is necessary for her to take care of her and obey advice of
healthcare professionals and family.
Perspectives psychological:-
Raj-
 Behaviourism: It is refers to the behaviour of an individual towards other person or
circumstances. In respect of Raj he is a depressed person as well as suffering from
diabetic so it is necessary for him to understand other opinion and follow it for his
benefit.
Lucy-
 Cognitive: It refers to negative thinking of an individual which directly as well as
indirectly affect their life and other also. So it is essential for person to understand
situation and then develop any opinion on it (Wells, Evans and Cheek, 2016). In case of
Lucy she is introvert and she also didn't like to communicate with society which directly
influence her life style and leads to depression situation. It can be recommended to her
that she must be communicate with society and understand others in effective and
appropriate manner.
Evaluation of interventions/approaches
Compare cognitive behavioural therapy to other current therapies underpinned by theory.
How effective are they for service users?
Cognitive behaviour therapy is used by health care professions in order to improve
mental health of patients and service users. It is mainly focus on challenging and changing
situation which may affect condition of an individual. For this they adopt this theory by
understanding service user behaviour and conducting in order to improver their health in
effective and appropriate manner. Cognitive behaviour therapy is more effective and efficient in
conducting of Raj and Lucy in comparison to their past therapy.
How have these interventions improved the health and well being of both service users
(case study 1 and 2) from different cultural backgrounds?
Here interventions refers to prejudice, discrimination and exclusion which affect lifestyle
and working of an individual in negative manner. In respect of case of Raj and Lucy, society
conduct discrimination and prejudice with them due to which they fell lonely and depressed. So
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it is essential to remove or diminish these interventions so that they can improve their health in
effective manner (Castañeda and et.al., 2015). This can be possible when society will accept
them in efficient way and treat them equally that leads to happy and satisfy environment. By
which they able to improve their health.
Give examples from service users in your work setting.
Healthcare provision refers to practices which leads to high quality heal care services and
it will related to caring, warm, safety and homely environment through which an individual feel
better and leave happy. In respect of case of Lucy as well as Raj, it is essential for society and
their family members to adopt provision for healthcare because by it they able to treat them in
effective ways through which they can also avoid alcohol and smoking which is injurious for
health (Wong And et.al., 2017). Along with this government also develop various provisions for
healthcare which help society and family to take care both Raj as well as Lucy in effective and
appropriately manner. There are various sociological and psychological perspectives theory.
Such as sociological perspectives theory are feminism, social conflict and structural- functional.
Whereas some psychological theory are cognitive, behavioural, humanistic, biological and
psychodynamic. According to case of Lucy is going through feminist perspectives and Raj is
suffering from behavioural perspectives.
Impact of prejudice, discrimination and exclusion on both service users. How effective have
these interventions been for both?
Prejudice, discrimination and exclusion affect life and behaviour of other because by it an
individual feel alone and demotivate which directly affect working and lifestyle of a person. In
respect of Raj and Lucy, their working and lifestyle get affected because others are doing
discrimination, prejudice and exclusion with them (Ferraro, Schafer and Wilkinson, 2016) . That
leads to feeling to aloneness and demotivated, due to which they both started drinking alcohol as
well as smoking in order to reduce their pain. Along with this due to prejudice, discrimination
and exclusion sometime Raj feel to attempt suicide so that he able to avoid such type of pain
which is affecting him badly from inside.
Provide an evaluation of own care planning of both service users compared to an existing
plan and the specific healthcare interventions used and processes (from planning, through
to review).
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Raj and Lucy are suffering from diabetes and asthma respectively as well as they both are
suffering from depression which affect their lifestyle and working. According to which new plan
in order to improve there health are given below:
Raj: Raj is suffering from type 2 diabetes, care plan in order to improve his health is like
first of all all essential test will be conducted so that exact situation and conduction will be
evaluated. By which healthcare professionals able to treat them in effective a well as appropriate
manner. Along with this there are some restriction which have to followed by Raj in proper way
such as he didn't take sweet products as well as he must have to take medicine in proper time.
Lucy: In respect of condition of Lucy she is suffering from asthma so care plan
according to it are like their will be proper check up and test will be conducted so that
appropriate condition will be analysis. According to which recommendation will be provided to
Lucy so that she able to fight will respective disease in appropriate manner. Such as she must
avoid getting contact with dust and other allergic products or particles.
Use relevant psychological and sociological concepts to comment on their effectiveness.
Psychological:
Behaviourism- It refers to the situation when an individual is treated in effective manner
according to their behaviour. According to this society and other peoples interact with service
user in effective manner according to their behaviour (Jennings, Larson and Yun, 2016). By this
peoples able to feel satisfy and motivated which leads to happy as well as satisfy environments.
Sociological:
Functionalism- It refers to situation when it is essential for an individual to be health and
conduct work in appropriate manner because it help in attaining growth of society. So it is
essential for an individual to be healthy and contribute to succession of economy as well as
society in effective and appropriate way.
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REFRENCES
Books and journals
Zeanah, C. H. ed., 2018. Handbook of infant mental health. Guilford Publications.
George, L. K., 2018. What life-course perspectives offer the study of aging and health. In Lives
in Time and Place and Invitation to the Life Course (pp. 161-188). Routledge.
Ramírez, M., 2017. Psychology of the Americas: Mestizo perspectives on personality and mental
health (Vol. 126). Elsevier.
Holt-Lunstad, J. and Uchino, B. N., 2015. Social support and health. Health behavior: Theory,
research and practice, pp.183-204.
Yan, Z. and et.al., 2016. Knowledge sharing in online health communities: A social exchange
theory perspective. Information & Management. 53(5). pp.643-653.
Feeney, B. C. and Collins, N. L., 2015. A new look at social support: A theoretical perspective
on thriving through relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review. 19(2).
pp.113-147.
Reid, C., 2017. The wounds of exclusion: Poverty, women’s health, and social justice.
Routledge.
Wells, N. M., Evans, G. W. and Cheek, K. A., 2016. Environmental psychology. Environmental
health: From global to local, 203.
Castañeda, H. and et.al., 2015. Immigration as a social determinant of health. Annual review of
public health, 36, pp.375-392.
Wong, Y. J. And et.al., 2017. Meta-analyses of the relationship between conformity to masculine
norms and mental health-related outcomes. Journal of counseling psychology. 64(1).
p.80.
Ferraro, K. F., Schafer, M. H. and Wilkinson, L .R., 2016. Childhood disadvantage and health
problems in middle and later life: Early imprints on physical health?. American
Sociological Review. 81(1). pp.107-133.
Jennings, V., Larson, L. and Yun, J., 2016. Advancing sustainability through urban green space:
cultural ecosystem services, equity, and social determinants of health. International
Journal of environmental research and public health. 13(2). p.196.
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