Analysis of Psychosocial and Biochemical Health Models in Practice

This report provides a comprehensive comparison of the psychosocial and biochemical models of health and illness within the context of health and social care. It begins by introducing the Health Belief Model as a key psychological framework and defines psychosocial health as encompassing mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, contrasting it with the biomedical model's focus on physical and biological aspects. The report delves into the psychosocial model, emphasizing the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in health and illness, highlighting its applications across various healthcare fields, and the impact of environmental and genetic factors on mental health. It contrasts this with the biomedical model, which primarily focuses on biological factors and excludes social and psychological influences, detailing its applications in diagnosis, treatment, and care. The report also discusses the advantages and limitations of both models, concluding with the crucial role of integrating both psychosocial and biochemical approaches for optimal patient well-being, acknowledging the limitations of each model in various medical conditions.

INTRODUCTION TO
HEALTH & SOCIAL
CARE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Compare and Contrast the psychosocial and biochemical models of health & illness...............1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................5
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INTRODUCTION
Health Belief Model is one of the psychological model that was developed for explaining
and predicting health behaviours. The Health Belief Model was developed by social
psychologists, Hochbaum, Kegels, Rosenstock while working in the U.S Public Health Services.
Psychosocial health deals with the state of mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being. The
bio psychosocial model helps in understanding the health and illness by addressing biological,
psychological and social factors (Ell, 2018). Biomedical models of health deals with the
physical and biological aspects of illness and disease. Biomedical model of health purely focuses
on the biological factors and it excludes psychological, environmental as well as social
influences. It is considered as one of the leading modern method for healthcare professionals in
order to diagnose and treat any health and illness condition is most of western countries.
Biomedical risk factors are stated through physically and are often influence by behavioural risk
factors. This report is totally based on the compare and contrast of the psychosocial and
biochemical models of health& illness.
Keywords: Psychosocial, biochemical, models, health.
Compare and Contrast the psychosocial and biochemical models of health & illness
Psychosocial health is overall related with the combination of psychological and social
behaviour. With the help of bio psychosocial model it becomes easy to understand the health and
illness by proper analysis and addressing of biological, psychology and social factors. Bio
psychosocial model was first time proposed by the George L. Engel in 1977 in order to better
reflect the development of health and illness through the complex interaction of biological,
psychological factors and social factors. Psychosocial model helps in development of blueprint
for research design to develop and implement an action in the real world of health care.
Psychological model has vast application scope and has been applied across various fields of
healthcare which mainly involves pain, diabetes, sleepwalking, gambling, hypothyroidism and
mental brain related issues (Aldwin et.al, 2017).
In today's world, human are undergoing various life and environmental changes due to
which human brain and it function also changes. An individual person's environment and genetic
make up is somewhere are interacted with each other and will create a profound effect on mental
health, brain functions and biological health. To understand the someone's mental health it is
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important to focus on all those factors affecting both positively and negatively to create overall
health and well-being. In the views of Dr. George Engel and John Romano, the psychological
perspective is more suitable when analysis the factors and mental illness.
Psychological model have generated the idea that there are various biological,
psychological and social determinants for mental health and illness. Bio psychosocial perspective
is very useful as it allows for the proper explanation that how human who seems to be healthy
but are facing mental illness and how some are more inclined to mental illness than others. It is
found that those human how are mentally fit, they have positive energy and strong social bonds
that keeps them away from mental illness. The psychological model perspective gives strong
evidence that although an individual can be mentally healthy at some point of life but they still
experience mental illness when they face any issues or when their bio psychosocial balance is
disturbed.
In context to psychosocial model, interaction and inter connection between people's
genetic make-up, mental health and sociocultural environment all together contribute to human
health and illness. There are various biological factors that directly influence the mental health
and mental illness which includes hormones, toxins, nutrition, physical trauma and infections.
There are many psychological components that outlook for potential psychological explanations
for health issues and problems which mainly includes lack of self control, negative thoughts and
emotional turmoil. In context with social and cultural factors that are some particular sets of
events in daily life that directly impact the mental heath status depending upon human social
context (Falvo and Holland, 2017).
Bio psychosocial model acts as contrast to the traditional biomedical model of medicine.
According to modern neuroscience, psychosocial model is general model or approach that posits
that biological, psychological which involves thoughts, emotions, behaviour and social factors,
all of this plays very significant role in human functioning in concern with human health and
illness. Psychosocial model also states that psychosocial factors can cause and effect a biological
effect by predisposing the patient to risk factors. There are several biological factors that
influences the mental health and mental illness, the major categorises that falls in this includes
genes, infections, physical trauma, hormones and toxins. A large body of empirical literature has
identified that social -cognitive also known as psycho-social aspects of Engel's model variables
that appears to affect the engagement in healthy behaviours and also adhere to be prescribed the
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medical regimens. Some of the psycho-social issues that is faced by human includes anxiety,
depression, coping skills, social support, insomnia, memory and other cognitive difficulties.
Biomedical word comes from Greek word “bios” which means life and the Latin word
“medicus” which means healing. The biomedical model of healthcare emphasis purely on
biological factors and it excludes all the social, psychological and environmental influences.
Biomedical model does not include and considered diagnosis that may affect the treatment of
patient and leads to negotiation between doctor or care taker and patient (Lovallo, 2015).
Currently, biomedical models are undergoing various challenges in context with
disabilities issues. Biomedical models can be of various types which include from animal models
of human diseases in vitro and different modelling system that is for studying any aspects of
human disease and human disease. Biomedical model of health emphasis on physical and
biological aspects of illness and diseases. This model act as medical model of care that is
practised by doctors , care takers and health professionals that is somewhere associated with the
diagnosis, treatment and care of disease. The biomedical model of health is also referred as the
'band aid' or 'quick fix' approach and it focuses only on the physical or biological aspects of
human health and illness. This model includes diagnoses and treatment of illnesses and
conditions. The biomedical model centres around various health professionals, surgeons, doctors
and all those hospitals that administer treatment. Some of the example that reflect the biomedical
model of health and illness are x-rays to diagnose fractured bones, chemotherapy to treat cancer,
stitches to assist the healing of laceration, surgery to remove kidney or appendix (Peel and
Maxwell, 2017).
Those individual who concentrates on disabilities, illness and diseases are focused by the
biomedical model and attempts to return back the health of person to pre-illness state. The reason
for the disease, illness and disabilities are not at all considered under the biomedical model but
the conditions of patient and their treatments along with solution is considered under the
biomedical model. Biomedical model generally focuses on the biological determinants of health
as a result both behavioural and social determinants of health and illness are excluded. With the
enhancement of advance technology and treatment in twentieth century, it is observed that there
was increased pressure on hospitals and healthcare professionals in order to diagnose diseases
accurately and find out treatment and cures for patient well- being. Both medical science and
technologies act as pivotal under biomedical model and many other medical advances have also
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occurred as result of biomedical model of health. Biomedical model has many advantages that
allows to contribute good health to patients for their well-being. Biomedical model has created
advances in technology and research and with biomedical model of health there would be no
existence of x-rays, antibiotics or anaesthetics (Strickland and Patrick, 2014).
Due to biomedical model it is found that healthcare professionals are able to diagnose
and treat patient well. Biomedical model enables to handle many common problems and to be
treated with effectively. With the help of biomedical models, it has become possible to extend
life expectancy which means that all those diseases which causes death or causes infectious
diseases are able to be treated and cured. Biomedical model has also improved patient quality of
life. Now many chronic conditions are able to managed through advance medication, therapy and
surgery. These intervention has improved and enhanced the level of health that is experienced by
various individuals. Although biomedical models has played vital role in the treatment method of
patients and has great contribution is health system but it has its own limitation. Not every
medical condition can be treated under the biomedical models.
CONCLUSION
It is found that both psychosocial and biochemical models are crucial in order to maintain
good health condition. For proper well being of patient health it is important to focus biological,
physical aspects of treatment along with psychological, environmental and social influences. It is
observed that in biomedical models of health and illness the influences of environment and social
factors are usually excluded and are not consider under patient treatment. But all this factors are
somewhere affects the health condition of patient treatment. Biomedical models are not
applicable in very medical condition and not every individual can afford expensive medical
resources that act as part of biomedical model of health.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aldwin, C.M., Igarashi, H., Gilmer, D.F. and Levenson, M.R., 2017. Health, illness, and
optimal aging: Biological and psychosocial perspectives. Springer Publishing Company.
Becker, M.H., Haefner, D.P., Kasl, S.V., Kirscht, J.P., Maiman, L.A. and Rosenstock, I.M.,
1977. Selected psychosocial models and correlates of individual health-related behaviors.
Medical care, 15(5), pp.27-46.
Ell, K., 2018. Families and health care: Psychosocial practice. Routledge.
Falvo, D. and Holland, B.E., 2017. Medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and
disability. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Lovallo, W.R., 2015. Stress and health: Biological and psychological interactions. Sage
publications.
Peel, N. and Maxwell, H., 2017. Leisure “either biomedical or salutogenic”. In Leisure for
Social Change: Book of Abstracts for the 13th Biennial Australia and New Zealand
Association for Leisure Studies Conference, 4-7 December 2017(pp. 35-35).
Strickland, C.M. and Patrick, C.J., 2014. Biomedical Model. The Encyclopedia of Clinical
Psychology, pp.1-3.
Strickland, C.M. and Patrick, C.J., 2014. Biomedical Model. The Encyclopedia of Clinical
Psychology, pp.1-3.
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