Micah Sparks
Grand Canyon University: PSY-352
July 2, 2016
Biopsychosocial Model vs. Biomedical Model
The Biopsychosocial Model focuses on the biological, social and psychological factors that work together in determining the onset, progression and recovery from illness. The assumption is that health and illness are consequences of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Thus, provides a greater understanding and attention to the patient’s health and illness. The biomedical model has been used by health practitioners based on biologic knowledge. Thus, maintains that all illness can be explained on the basis of aberrant somatic bodily processes, such as biochemical imbalances or neurophysiological abnormalities.
Health psychologist would be inclined to provide the Biopsychosocial Model towards explaining the various reasons people become substance and drugs abusers. The Biopsychosocial Model would first look at the overall risk for addiction. Genetic influences often increase the probability of becoming an alcoholic or substance abuser. Scientists estimate that genetic factors account for between 40 and 60 percent of a person’s vulnerability to addiction (Comer, …show more content…
Unlike the biomedical model, health psychologist often develops a wealth of evidence and information such as, predispositions, personality, and life style. Dissimilarities in health behaviors and in risk factors happen between different cultural groups, prevalence levels increase due to the lack of knowledge about the disease. Cultural variations in the incidence rate of cancer various depending on the demographics of an individual. According to Gurung (2012), Native Americans are at the highest mortality rates relative to their incidence rates; they are more likely to die from their