University Health Assignment: Biomedical vs. Biopsychosocial Models

This assignment provides an overview of health, defining it as a state of comprehensive wellbeing influenced by various factors such as environment, genetics, and socioeconomic status. The paper primarily discusses two key models: the biomedical model, which focuses on biological factors and the absence of illness, and the biopsychosocial model, which emphasizes the interconnection between social, psychological, environmental, and biological factors in understanding health and disease. The assignment contrasts these models, highlighting the biomedical model's focus on physical processes and the biopsychosocial model's holistic approach, including the patient's thoughts and feelings. It concludes that a healthy lifestyle enables individuals to adapt to infirmities, emphasizing the positive aspects of health and its impact on leading a meaningful life. The assignment references relevant literature to support the discussion and offers a comprehensive understanding of the models and their implications on the understanding of health.

Running head: FORMATIVE ASSIGNMENT
Formative 1
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1FORMATIVE ASSIGNMENT
Introduction- The World Health Organisation describes health as a state of
comprehensive mental, social, and physical wellbeing, and states that health does not simply
denote the absence of any infirmity or illness (Macintyre 2018). In other words, health refers to a
dynamic condition that generates from the constant adaptation and adjustment of the human
body, in reply to different variations and stresses in the environment, with the aim of maintaining
homeostasis or an inner equilibrium. Health is influenced by several factors such as,
environment, relationship, genetics, socioeconomic status, and educational attainment and
typically refers to the resource for daily life.
Discussion- The concept of health can be explained by utilising the biomedical and
biopsychosocial perspectives. The biomedical model comprises of three components and
according to this model health contains the liberty from any kind of pain, illness, infirmity, or
imperfection. The focus of the model is based on physical processes such as, physiology,
biochemistry, and pathology of a particular illness, and does not take into attention the impact
that individual prejudice or social issues (Farre and Rapley 2017). In other words, this model
does not place any emphasis on diagnosis of an illness, which in turn affects the treatment that
the patient is subjected to, following some form of cooperation between the patient and the
doctor.
Therefore, the biomedical model of health is primarily focused on biological factors and
eliminates psychological, environmental, and social influences. Hence, this model is a scientific
assessment of health, and considered as a condition where the human form has a collapse, owing
to some kind of biological purpose. This model of health is widely prevalent in Western societies
and underpins different practices and policies of the NHS. Particular advantage of this model is

2FORMATIVE ASSIGNMENT
that the primary concern for the patient is gaining access to best possible treatment, which will
help in recuperation (Deacon and McKay 2015).
This is in contrast to the biopsychosocial model of health that explores the
interconnection between social, environmental, psychological, and biological factors, and how
they govern health and disease. Developed in 1977 by George L. Engel, the model strives for a
holistic approach, and recognises that individual patients have their own thoughts, history, and
feelings (Lane 2014). This model explains disease development and progression through the
multifaceted interaction between genetic and biochemical factors, in relation to mood, behaviour,
personality, familial, cultural, and socio-economic conditions. The model also focuses on the
notion of mind-body dualism, and suggests that the individual awareness governed by social and
psychological factors plays a substantial role in the onset and management of a disease (Lehman,
David and Gruber 2017). It is one of the most widely used psychological model and helps in
organisation of thoughts of a patient, by stating that all health problems of a person are
interconnected and might be more multifarious than earlier anticipated.
Conclusion- To conclude, health is a positive notion that highlights on social resources,
personal resources, and physical competences. It can be stated that presence of a healthy lifestyle
provides individuals the means to lead purposeful and meaningful life, and also helps the human
body to adapt to infirmities and new threats.

3FORMATIVE ASSIGNMENT
References
Deacon, B.J. and McKay, D., 2015. The biomedical model of psychological problems: A call for
critical dialogue. Lancet, 16, pp.2-3.
Farre, A. and Rapley, T., 2017, December. The new old (and old new) medical model: four
decades navigating the biomedical and psychosocial understandings of health and illness.
In Healthcare (Vol. 5, No. 4, p. 88). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Lane, R.D., 2014. Is it possible to bridge the Biopsychosocial and Biomedical models?.
Lehman, B.J., David, D.M. and Gruber, J.A., 2017. Rethinking the biopsychosocial model of
health: Understanding health as a dynamic system. Social and personality psychology
compass, 11(8), p.e12328.
Macintyre, S., 2018. Health and illness. In Key variables in social investigation (pp. 76-98).
Routledge.