Biopsychosocial/Biomedical Model Summary
Throughout the first section we looked at the biopsychosocial model which looks at curing medical illness through social treatments and improvements. The psychological part of this model revolves around the potential causes for a health problem such as the lack of self control, whereas the social part of the model investigates the factors such as their socio-economic status. The model is based on cognitive theory as it implies that treatment of disease requires that the influence should come from a patient’s way of functioning.
Whilst looking at this model we covered the basis of hyperkinesis, according to Weller (2009) he defines hyperkinesis as a condition in which there is excessive motor activity as developmental hyperactivity of children is characterised by very restless impulsive behaviour. Hyperkinesis is often associated with children often between the ages of two and four who have a poor attention span and the inability to concentrate. It is becoming more common through adolescence as it links with hyperactivity and restlessness; it is also become a recognised disorder due to high numbers of children being diagnosed with hyperactivity. I have come to the conclusion that with hyperkinesis both parents and teachers identify possible symptoms and then report this to their local doctor so that they can be diagnosed. However, I believe that the symptoms are often being exaggerated by parents so that they can be put to rest with helpful medication to calm their children down and to control the child’s hyperactivity/hyperkinesis.
We also looked at the biomedical model which started at the era of hospital medicine as urbanisation and industrialisation led to wide spread poverty and ill health. The model focuses on the biological changes that can be both defined and measure. The model values technology through diagnosis in treatment even though it can be proved to provide the incorrect information. Through this model it makes assumptions in which they believe that society chooses what is normal or can be defined as average.
McKeown (1979) believes that both hospitals and surgical procedures were actually harmful and would have had little impact on mortality. As a decline in mortality from infectious diseases occurred well before medicine had anything to offer by way of treatment such as antibiotics. Illich (1976) goes on to back up McKeown as he also believes that medical interventions can be clinically damaging and irrelevant such as MRSA. He goes on to discover that medicine expands into society and creates an industry for artificial products for example cosmetic surgery. Finally, he concludes by stating that social iatrogenesis expands into our lives by reducing our own ability to confront life.
In conclusion to both of these models we can assume that health and disease are socially produced as they are not natural but are located within the individual. We can also recognise the other factors that play a role in determining who becomes sick. Overall, there are many ways at look at health, illness and disease. Most professionals have a power to meet their own collective needs through the biomedical model and increasingly more of our lives are becoming more medicalised. I have come to the conclusion in which I believe that both models revolve on how change can be defined and measured through us valuing technology.
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Reference List
Illich, I. (1995) Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health (2nd Edition) Marion Boyars: London.
McKeown, T. (1979) The role of medicine: Dream, Mirage or Nemesis? , pp. 76-77. Basil Blackwell: Oxford.
Weller, B. F (2009) Baillere’s Nurses’ Dictionary: For nurses and health care workers (25th Edition) London: Elsevier.
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