Biopsychosocial vs. Biomedical Model Essay

Biopsychosocial vs. Biomedical Model Being able to understand health and illness issues has greatly changed and improved over time. Knowledge of health science grew quickly in the 18th and 19th century. Such advantages caused an expansion of theories towards health conditions. In particular, the biomedical model towards targeting health and illness became greatly appreciated. This model has been primarily used amongst physicians and providers within the medical community. The biomedical model played a key role into understanding illness and how to treat it (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Despite, the model being used medically for a long period of time, a new model has been presented and could become a better approach towards modern medicine. The new approach is termed as the biopsychosocial model, and it expands the ideas of the biomedical model (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). However, it has been difficult to steer western medicine from the old model into a completely new one. Biomedical Model In the 19th century the biomedical model was established, which recognized that medical issues were caused by disturbances due to the body’s psychological processes. This model claims that diseases are initiated by psychological variables rather than social variables. By the 19th and 20th century, the biomedical model was strongly recognized as the primary view of western medicine; furthermore, it is still viewed as the dominant model today (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). The biomedical model has also been helpful in guiding achievements within the medical field by discovering that the underlying causes of illness are due to biological factors. (Deacon, 2013). Biological Factors The biomedical model explains how biological factors are the key cause of illness and disease, which include genetic vulnerability, injury, abnormal organ functioning, biochemical imbalances, and infections due to bacteria and viruses (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Understanding biology background will aid in reasoning towards medical issues an individual may have. These factors incorporate biological functioning into the biomedical model but do not include psychological or social variables within its framework. (Deacon, 2013). Leading Cause of Death Using the biomedical model has been a key aspect in analyzing health within the medical field. Some of the key leading causes of death within the early 20th century were diarrhea, pneumonia, influenza, and tuberculosis. The biomedical model was derived from the germ theory of diseases which was discovered by Lois Pasteur, and it aided in limiting the previously stated diseases as the leading cause of death in the 20th century. However, by the 21st century, the leading causes of death were stroke, cancer, and heart disease, which are common chronic diseases. By the early 20th century to the start of the 21st century, the treatment of infectious diseases has expanded the average life expectancy from 47 years to 77 years. Although life expectancy gradually changed, professionals began to realize that the biomedical model may not be suitable due to a newly proposed medical model (Johnson, 2012). Reducing Illness The biomedical model is capable in explaining an illness and has been able to reduce sickness for a long period of time. New cures and medicines were discovered using this process; furthermore, new bodily functions were becoming acknowledged (Rocca & Anjum, 2020). Despite the growth from the biomedical model, it has been claimed to be out of date. Illness has affected people in different ways than what was considered normal in the past. It is almost as if sickness evolved acute conditions into becoming chronic (Deacon, 2013). Failure of the biomedical model has been recognized due to certain factors of a person’s health not being considered. This is strongly due to the lack of information given to the provider from the patient; however, it is not the patient’s fault but the communication between the two. To fully understand health, biological factors on top of social and psychological factors should be acknowledged (Deacon, 2013). Although biological factors are strongly significant within the biomedical model, a new approach incorporates the social and psychological aspects of illness and disease, which is the biopsychosocial model (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). The new model can give greater reasoning towards the origin of disease an individual may have by broadening the major cause, which will altogether help reduce illness. Biopsychosocial Model The biopsychosocial model expanded the idea behind the biomedical model by incorporating psychological and social components alongside biological variables (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). This new model left room for the biomedical model but expanding the framework within it. The real issue is acceptance of the biopsychological model because professionals are having trouble steering away from biomedicine as the only approach towards healthcare (Wade & Halligan, 2017). The reasoning behind this is that professionals need to realize people experiencing the same illness can be different because of weaker biological components. It is difficult to understand that health is affected by these new components. Understanding the difference between varying biological systems will allow professionals to treat illness and disease better (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Biological Factors The biological factors within the biopsychosocial model are genetic materials and processes that are inherited from someone’s biological family background. A person can experience illness differently from someone else because of weaker biological components. An individual’s biological components that are high functioning will be expected to have optimal health. It's critical that the body's various biological systems understand how to communicate effectively with one another (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Psychological Factors The psychological factors within the biopsychosocial model are cognition, motivation, and emotion. All three of these components can impact an individual’s health. Cognition is termed as how people acquire and process information mentally, which can have a huge impact on illness and altogether health. Furthermore, what is done about a health condition is determined by what an individual believes about it (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Emotion has similar aspects with its psychological role within the biopsychosocial model. It can dictate when someone chooses to seek medical care. Also, emotion can play a strong role with how someone perceives their illness. Meaning, positive thinking could possibly lessen the chance of illness, whereas negative thinking could induce it (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Motivation gives people the ability to do something and it is commonly seen in relation to health (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Being motivated can cause someone to seek optimal health by incorporating certain practices in their life. Incorporating healthy habits to make oneself feel good is a prime example. Eating healthy foods and exercising is a great motivator to achieving positive health, which can overall make someone feel and look good in the process. Social Factors Social factors also play a key role in health and illness. Daily, people interact and create relationships. Such interactions can strongly impact people, which can cause healthy or unhealthy habits to form. This means that people have strong influences amongst others they have a relationship with (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Some people underestimate the power of influence and do not realize that their actions can affect other people or vice versa. For example, a teenager may try drugs because their friends said they do it all the time and it makes them feel good; that is an unhealthy health habit someone may form due social factors. On the other hand, an individual could form a healthy habit of running because someone said it keeps them feeling good and motivated. Society is a crucial component of the biopsychosocial model social factors. Media and communities hold certain values that make people try to fit the standards of society. Such values and influence strongly influence health and illness. Communities influence certain health behaviors people may have. A good community that has outdoor activities, such as parks and trails, will influence its citizens to become more active, whereas communities without these factors will lessen the activity of its citizens (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Leading Cause of Death Chronic illnesses are the leading cause of death. Some examples are stroke, cancer, and heart disease (Johnson, 2012). Due to people continuously dying from these chronic diseases, the biomedical model continues to fail, which has caused illness prevention to become greatly appreciated within the medical community. The unhealthy habits that are seen today hold a place within the psychological and social factors of the biopsychosocial model (Wade & Halligan, 2017). By shifting from the biomedical model to the biopsychosocial model, the medical community will accomplish more opportunities and achievements in the field (Johnson, 2012). As time continues, the biopsychosocial model will become more successful in preventing illness as well as fatal ones (Wade & Halligan, 2017). Reducing Illness The biopsychosocial model has changed how illness is treated compared to the biomedical model. Patient care can become more prioritized by including social and psychological factors (Deacon, 2013). Observing mental health and other components of an individual has been able to positively influence and increase patient care (Johnson, 2012). A great influence for patient-provider care has been understanding the effects psychological and social factors have on people. Such influences are now being taught in medical schools so providers can better understand what is going on with their patient and how to accurately target the illness; furthermore, understanding culture and beliefs can help medical providers (Johnson, 2012). The biopsychosocial model will help reduce illness by incorporating new reasoning based upon the new factors the model holds. Conclusion Each model, whether the biomedical or biopsychosocial, have their own advantages and disadvantages. Curing acute conditions is no longer viable because chronic conditions are becoming more dominant. Which is why the biopsychosocial model needs to become more accepted within the medical community. This new model will allow physicians to better understand what is going on with their patient and what the best approach is to target their illness. Reducing illness is the main priority, and understanding the biological, social, and psychological factors will bring better understanding with what health issues a patient has.