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Biopsychosocial vs. Biomedical Model Essay

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Biopsychosocial verses Biomedical Model Nancy Boswell Psy. 352 April 1, 2012 Professor Peterkin Biopsychosocial verses Biomedical Model The biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model are both representations of health commonly accepted in modern society. The biomedical model considers the absence of disease is physical wellness. This model is good practice but it has limitations. On the other hand, the biopsychosocial model takes into account the whole person which has led to extensive research in many aspects of wellness. It addresses more than physical well being as many people now are ill but they have no presence of disease. Socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity and generational differences all play important roles in …show more content…

Wellness is more than just absence of disease and one of the greatest strengths of the biopsychosocial method is preventive care. For example, an individual who is significantly overweight may be absent of disease but are they “healthy”? Research suggests that being overweight is unhealthy (Graves, 2010). “What about someone who is normal weight and feels fine, but whose lungs are being damaged from smoking cigarettes or whose arteries are becoming clogged from eating foods that are high in saturated fats? Are people with these signs healthy? We would probably say that they are not “sick”, but are they less healthy than they could be” (Ware, 1993). Socioeconomic status and health are strongly correlated due to both finances and education. Socioeconomic status affects lifestyle choices, diet and disparity in health care access. People in low SES often does not have health insurance and are denied access to health care services. Research studies suggest that lower SES is linked to poorer health outcomes (American Psychological Association, 2012). There are also generational differences with regard to which model patients prefer in seeking healthcare (Brannon & Feist, 2010). Many older adults perceive the biopsychosocial approach as new age. They are from a generation when infectious disease was the primary cause of death and disability and treatment to

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