Question

In a minimum of 100 words What is the biopsychosocial approach and how does it apply...

In a minimum of 100 words

What is the biopsychosocial approach and how does it apply to clinical psychology?

Homework Answers

Answer #1
  • The biopsychosocial approach was developed at Rochester decades ago by Drs. George Engel and John Romano. While traditional biomedical models of clinical medicine focus on pathophysiology and other biological approaches to disease, the biopsychosocial approach in our training programs emphasize the importance of understanding human health and illness in their fullest contexts.  
  • The biopsychosocial approach systematically considers biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery.
  • Biological, psychological, and social factors exist along a continuum of natural systems, as depicted in the diagram above.
  • Systematic consideration of psychological and social factors requires application of relevant social sciences, just as consideration of biological factors requires application of relevant natural sciences.
  • Therefore, both the natural and social sciences are ‘basic’ to medical practice.In other words, psychological and social factors are not merely epiphenomena: they can be understood in scientific ways at their own levels as well as in regard to their biological correlates.
  • Humanistic qualities are highly valued complements to the biopsychosocial approach, which involves the application of the scientific method to diverse biological, psychological, and social phenomena as related to human health.
  • While the biomedical approach takes the reductionistic view that all phenomena are best understood at the lowest level of natural systems (e.g., cellular or molecular), the biopsychosocial approach recognizes that different clinical scenarios may be most usefully understood scientifically at several levels of the natural systems continuum.
  • To apply the biopsychosocial approach to clinical practice, the clinician should:
  • Recognize that relationships are central to providing health care
  • Use self-awareness as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool
  • Elicit the patient’s history in the context of life circumstances
  • Decide which aspects of biological, psychological, and social domains are most important to understanding and promoting the patient’s health
  • Provide multidimensional treatment
  • Psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and other medical authorities claim that the clinical application of this model helps them understand the problems of a patient which in turn helps them decide the kind of treatment that they want to provide him or her with.
  • For instance,the biopsychosocial model tries to explain the causes of addiction. The reasons for an addiction are quite complex, and the three factors mentioned in the biopsychosocial model play an equally significant part in inducing addictive behavior in a person.
  • The biological factor in the model states that some people have a higher chance of developing an addiction as compared to others. Research actually suggests that individuals with a family history of addictions are more prone to develop them as compared to those who have no such family history.
  • Similarly, hormones can also be believed to play a part. Hence, it is possible that the biological factors of a person could play a role in developing addictive behavior.
  • The psychological factor in the BPS model too plays a major role in developing an addiction. For many people, drinking, smoking, doing drugs, or gambling feels like rewarding behavior they get happiness or relief by doing it.
  • The concept of rewarding behavior is actually psychological, the person only feels rewarded. However, the temptation of the good feelings that are generated for the person after indulging in something might lead towards an addiction for the same.
  • The social factor of the BPS model consists of the social and cultural environment surrounding the individual. His relationships with the people around him, and his peer group play a huge role in developing addictions.
  • Secondly, the availability of an addictive substance, or the general mindset about it also affects the possibility of addiction. For instance, if smoking is considered to be 'cool' and somewhat necessary in a high-profile, stressful job, there is more chance of an individual getting addicted to it, as it is generally viewed as acceptable.
  • Similarly, gambling is a common and popular activity all over the world. This may lead to an individual at risk to indulge endlessly in gambling and ultimately, get addicted to it.
  • Social workers and psychiatrists take all three factors of the biopsychosocial model into consideration when analyzing addiction problems and addictive behavior. These factors help them understand the problem at hand from every point of view, and help in deciding what kind of treatment should be administered.
  • The biopsychosocial model, as we know, helps in determining the best kind of treatment to be administered to a patient according to his or her health issues.
  • When the patient has to be administered medical treatment in the hospital, all three needs can be taken care of simultaneously: biological needs, psychological needs, as well as social needs.
  • Biological needs can be taken care of by providing the necessary medicines, any sedatives if required, the correct nutrition, appropriate safety facilities, as well as antidepressants, if applicable.
  • Psychological needs can be taken care of by being empathetic with the patient and making him feel safe and secure in the doctor's care. Emotional support, sympathy, and allowing the patient to feel comfortable in the doctor's company are ways to take care of the patient's psychological needs.
  • The social needs of a patient are fulfilled through support from family members, friends, peers, etc.
  • When the patient is on the road to recovery, the biopsychosocial model can again be applied for quicker and better recovery.
  • Biological needs can be taken care of through antidepressants, the appropriate medicines, correct diet, etc.
  • Psychological needs are taken care of through counseling, information about the problem and information about recovery.
  • Social needs are taken care of through enhanced primary and secondary relationships, as well as being engaged in some or the other kind of activity so as to avoid frustration or depression.
  • The biopsychosocial model of healthcare thus helps doctors to identify and correct any underlying issues that may hamper a patient's recovery.
  • Mental illness of any kind cannot be attributed to just any biological, psychological, or social reason alone. In fact, it is the interaction between the three factors that causes any disorder, be it physiological or mental. The reason why the biopsychosocial model can be useful to study mental health and its problems, is
  • Biological reasons such as heightened sensitivity to stress, fear, anxiety, etc.
  • Psychological reasons such as the individual's thoughts, perceptions, emotions, lack of confidence, feelings of trauma, etc.
  • Social reasons, such as peer pressure, role models, relationships, subjection to abuse, traumatic experiences, etc.
  • The interaction between the above three factors broadly comes together to manifest mental illness such as personality disorders or anxiety problems, or something on similar lines.
  • The BPS model states that depression as a mental condition cannot be attributed to psychological reasons alone. In fact, the model states, that depression is attributed to the interaction between all three factors: biological, psychological, and social.
  • The biological factors include an individual's imbalanced hormones, any physical disorder, a disability, etc. A person suffering from one or all these issues is more likely to get depressed than someone who is not.
  • Psychological factors too, of course, influence and induce depression to a great extent. Self-confidence, pattern of thinking, negativity in the mind, emotional intelligence, and the ability to cope, influence depression.
  • Social factors, such as lack of social support, traumatic incidents, abuse, or other stressful situations have the ability to affect the psyche and physical state of an individual.
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