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The Biological Model Of Mental Illness

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As defined by experts, a mental illness is a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and involves changes in thinking, emotion, behavior, interpersonal interactions, daily functioning, or a combination. The causes of mental illness are complex and vary depending on the theories associated to the different biological, psychological, and environmental factors. The etiology of mental illness is based on five broad models: biological, psychological, behavioral, cognitive, and social. The biological model, or medical model, emerged in the late nineteenth century following the discovery of the correlation between brain damage and abnormal behavior. The critical assumption of the …show more content…

Psychoanalysis is a therapy of psychological theory that aims to treat mental illnesses based on the concepts of Sigmund Freud, who emphasized the importance of free association and dream analysis. The model of psychoanalysis aim is to release repressed emotion and experiences, by making unconscious thoughts, conscious. The fundamental principles of psychoanalysis are practiced by putting an emphasis on the patient to gain insight into the origins of their respective problems like a patient presenting symptoms of anxiety would be encouraged by a licensed professional to explore their past, in hopes of discovering problems that manifested the anxiety. The anxiety created may be a defense mechanism directed towards displacement in their world. The behavioral model proposes that personality and character are exhibited in observable behaviors, and the effects of the environment on the behaviors. The behavioral model is usually found in conjunction to the cognitive model; that understand mental illnesses as a result of error or bias in thinking. The cognitive-behavioral model is based upon the assumption that a human’s thoughts and beliefs are heavy influencers on behavior, emotion, and physiology. Cognitive-behavior therapy focuses on changing a person’s unhealthy and problematic behaviors through behavioral intervention. An example is a man recovered from alcohol addiction works with his therapist to identify

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