A key aspect of the biopsychosocial model is the importance it places on the interconnections between the three domains of
biological, psychological, and social functioning
.
The biopsychosocial approach systematically considers
biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery
.
Examples include: a) a
person may have a genetic predisposition for depression
, but they must have social factors, such as extreme stress at work and family life, as well as psychological factors, such as a perfectionistic tendencies, to trigger this genetic code for depression; b) a person may have a genetic …
The biomedical model
looks at the underlying pathophysiology in isolation
and often cannot explain why prescribed treatments fail, e.g. treatment for chronic low back pain (LBP). … The biopsychosocial model uses a holistic approach as it aims to treat both the patient and the disease.
According to the biopsychosocial model, it is the deep interrelation of all three factors (
biological, psychological, social
) that leads to a given outcome—each component on its own is insufficient to lead definitively to health or illness.
The biopsychosocial model views
health and illness as the product of biological characteristics (genes), behavioral factors (lifestyle, stress, health beliefs)
, and social conditions (cultural influences, family relationships, social support).
The biopsychosocial model has led to the development of the
most therapeutic and cost-effective interdisciplinary pain management programs
and makes it far more likely for the chronic pain patient to regain function and experience vast improvements in quality of life.
Biopsychosocial model
helps primary care doctors to understand interactions among biological and psychosocial components of illnesses
to improve the dyadic relationship between clinicians and their patients and multidisciplinary approaches in patient care.
- Family relationships.
- Social support.
- Marital status.
- Cultural influences.
- Spiritual or religious background.
- Hobbies and recreational activities.
- Employment status and work history.
- Living situation.
According to the Biopsychosocial Model of Stress, stress involves three components:
an external component, an internal component, and the interaction between the external and internal components.
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.
Chronic pain
is widely regarded as a biopsychosocial disorder.
3 – 8
. Chronic pain and associated disability are often life-altering conditions, have a profound psychosocial impact, and psychiatric conditions are common in such patients.
A biopsychosocial approach to
understanding and coping with pain takes into account the biological, psychological and social factors that affect the experience of and coping with pain
, allowing for and encompassing a wider variety of treatment options.
Biomedical model
focuses on treatment and elimination of symptoms
, while bio-psychosocial model focuses on individual’s perception of their symptoms and how they and their families respond to symptoms they are experiencing [6].
Why is the biomedical model dominant?
The biomedical model of health is the most dominant in the western world and
focuses on health purely in terms of biological factors
. … They can then consider whether the biomedical model of health addresses the definition of health provided by the WHO above.
What are the advantages of the biomedical model?
The biomedical model has its advantages:
It offers explanations of mental ill-health
that many people who experience mental health problems find reassuring as it can be the first stage towards recovery.
