**2.7 Strengths of bio-psychosocial model**

Bio-psychosocial model benefits the patients and healthcare system as revealed by research [8–14]:


**5**

*Introductory Chapter: Bio-Psychosocial Model of Health DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85024*

diabetes and other chronic conditions).

reaction to illness.

tion strategies.

difficulties.

patients and their families.

[9, 10, 12, 15–18] as follows:

**2.8 Critical views of bio-psychosocial model**

• Time-consuming and expensive apply.

evidence to support the model.

in individual's condition.

factors that might affect the individual's condition.

• Reduce multiple visits and admission into hospitals.

• Development and application of techniques to reduce health risk behaviour.

• Individuals with health challenges are acknowledged to be active participants in the recovery process and good health, rather than mere passive victims.

• Increase efficiency of care by reducing unnecessary prescription of drugs (i.e.

• Development of psychological techniques in the strengthening of immune

• Improvement of communication between health staff and the patients.

• A significant influence on contemporary understanding of mental health

• Development and application of psychosocial support for the terminally ill

A list of critical views of bio-psychosocial model has been noted in literature

• It requires more information be gathered during the assessment about an individual's socioeconomic status, culture, religion, as well as psychological

• There is a lack of theoretical basis of bio-psychosocial model and scientific

• The complex relations between causes and effects of biological, psychological and social factors to influence the state of health and or occurrence of diseases.

• The holistic nature of the bio-psychosocial model makes it a luxury many

• Insufficient training opportunities or financial resources available to support the existence of multidisciplinary teams consisting of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health nurses and social welfare workers to allow for a full understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors involved

healthcare systems in resource-poor settings cannot afford.

• Bio-psychosocial model can be used as a predictor of pain and other psychosocial problems resulting into development appropriate prevention and interven-

• Development and introduction of programmes of life quality improvement for chronic patients, physically disabled individuals and the elderly patients.

*Psychology of Health - Biopsychosocial Approach*

What causes illness?

How should illness be treated?

Who is responsible for treatment?

What is the relationship between health and illness?

What is the relationship between the mind and the body?

What is the role of psychology in health and illness?

**Table 1.**

Who is responsible for illness?

**Focal area Biomedical model Bio-psychosocial model**

Biological (virus), psychological (beliefs, behaviour) and social (unemployment)

Individuals should be held responsible for his/her health and illness

The whole person should be treated, e.g. behaviour change, change in beliefs and coping strategies and compliance with

medical recommendations

changing their behaviour)

back again

body interact

The focus is the whole person to be treated not just their physical illness; the patient is therefore responsible for their treatment (e.g. taking the medication or

Health and illness exist on a continuum. Individuals progress along this continuum from health to illness and

The focus is on an interaction between the mind and the body. The mind and

Psychological factors not only as possible consequences of illness but as contributing to it at all stages along the continuum from healthy to being ill

Biological factors (chemical imbalances, bacteria, viruses and genetic predisposition)

Through vaccination, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, all of which aim to change the physical state

Health and illness are seen as qualitatively different—you are either healthy or ill—there is no continuum

The mind and body function independently of each other. In other words, the mind and body are separate

Illness may have psychological consequences, but not psychological causes (e.g. cancer may cause unhappiness, but mood is not seen as related to either the onset or progression of the cancer)

between the two

entities

*Comparing biomedical and bio-psychosocial models of health.*

The responsibility for treatment rests with the medical profession

of the body

Individuals are regarded as victims of some external force causing internal changes. Because illness is seen as a result of biological changes beyond their control, individuals are not seen as responsible for their illness

vulnerability to adverse effects. Vulnerable individuals develop chronic allostatic reactions such as reduced immunocompetence or exaggerated sympathetic activation of the ANS or increased secretion of adrenal hormones. Physiological reactions of these types have been implicated in the development of many disease states, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases susceptibility to infections [3]. The following section presents the strengths and

Bio-psychosocial model benefits the patients and healthcare system as revealed

• Improved patient satisfaction, better adherence to prescriptions, more maintained behaviour change, better physical and psychological health and less of a

• Guiding application of medical knowledge to the needs of each patient.

critical views of bio-psychosocial model.

**2.7 Strengths of bio-psychosocial model**

tendency to initiate malpractice litigations.

by research [8–14]:

**4**

