The Biopsychosocial Approach

This open access book is a systematic update of the philosophical and scientific foundations of the biopsychosocial model of health, disease and healthcare. First proposed by George Engel 40 years ago, the Biopsychosocial Model is much cited in healthcare settings worldwide, but has been increasingly criticised for being vague, lacking in content, and in need of reworking in the light of recent developments. The book confronts the rapid changes to psychological science, neuroscience, healthcare, and philosophy that have occurred since the model was first proposed and addresses key issues such as the model’s scientific basis, clinical utility, and philosophical coherence. The authors conceptualise biology and the psychosocial as in the same ontological space, interlinked by systems of communication-based regulatory control which constitute a new kind of causation. These are distinguished from physical and chemical laws, most clearly because they can break down, thus providing the basis for difference between health and disease. This work offers an urgent update to the model’s scientific and philosophical foundations, providing a new and coherent account of causal interactions between the biological, the psychological and social.

For thousands of years, Western culture has dichotomized science and art, empiricism and subjective experience, and biology and psychology. In contrast with the prevailing view in philosophy, neuroscience, and literary criticism, George Engel, an internist and practicing physician, published a paper in the journal Science in 1977 entitled "The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine." In the context of clinical medicine, Engel made the deceptively simple observation that actions at the biological, psychological, and social level are dynamically interrelated and that these relationships affect both the process and outcomes of care. The biopsychosocial perspective involves an appreciation that disease and illness do not manifest themselves only in terms of pathophysiology, but also may simultaneously affect many different levels of functioning, from cellular to organ system to person to family to society. This model provides a broader understanding of disease processes as encompassing multiple levels of functioning including the effect of the physician-patient relationship. This book, which contains Engel's seminal article, looks at the continuing relevance of his work and the biopsychosocial model as it is applied to clinical practice, research, and education and administration. Contributors include: Thomas Inui, Richard Frankel, Timothy Quill, Susan McDaniel, Ronald Epstein, Peter LeRoux, Diane Morse, Anthony Suchman, Geoffrey Williams, Frank deGruy, Robert Ader, Thomas Campbell, Edward Deci, Moira Stewart, Elaine Dannefer, Edward Hundert, Lindsey Henson, Robert Smith, Kurt Fritzsche, Manfred Cierpka, Michael Wirsching, Howard Beckman, and Theodore Brown.

To what extent do social factors such as stress cause physical diseases? How do psychological and social factors contribute to the healing process? The biopsychosocial model is an approach to medicine which stresses the importance of a holistic approach. It considers factors outside the biological process of illness when trying to understand health and disease. In this approach, a person's social context and psychological well-being are keyfactors in their illness and recovery, along with their thoughts, beliefs and emotions. Biopsychosocial Medicine examines the concept and the utility of this approach from its history to its application, and from its philosophical underpinnings to the barriers to its implementation. It is severely critical of the failure of modern medicine to treat the patient not the disease, andits neglect of psychological and social factors in the treatment of the ill. Focusing on chronic disabling ill health, this book takes the examples of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, lower back pain, irritable bowel syndrome and depression to show how the biopsychosocial model can be used in practice. It questions why, even when the biopsychosocial approach has been proved tobe more effective than traditional methods in overcoming these disorders, is not more routinely used, and how barriers to its implementation can be overcome. Controversial and challenging, Biopsychosocial Medicine will be essential reading for all those who feel the biomedical model is failing them and their patients. It will enable readers to understand the model and how it can be implemented, in order to enhance their confidence and success as healthprofessionals.

Developed in the twentieth century as an outgrowth of psychosomatic medicine, the biopsychosocial model is seen as an antidote to the constraints of the medical model of psychiatry. Nassir Ghaemi details the origins and evolution of the BPS model and explains how, where, and why it fails to live up to its promises. He analyzes the works of its founders, George Engel and Roy Grinker Sr., traces its rise in acceptance, and discusses its relation to the thought of William Osler and Karl Jaspers.

Providing a thorough biopsychosocial approach, Health Psychology is your ideal companion to studying this subject. Exploring bio-social, developmental and lifestyle factors and how these relate to physical and psychological disturbances, this lively and approachable guide takes you through this key topic for psychology, health sciences, nursing and education students. Using case studies and up to date research, the author brings to life the important practical applications in this area, helping you to understand the varied ways the biological, physiological and social factors affect psychology and how effective interventions can influence the health of a population.

In its first edition, Richard Straub's text was acclaimed for its solid scientific approach, emphasis on critical thinking, real-world applications, exquisite anatomical art, and complete media/supplements package. The thoroughly updated new edition builds on those strengths to provide an even more effective introduction to the psychology behind why we get sick, how we stay well, how we react to illness, and how we relate to the health care system and health care providers.

This text presents a unified science-based conceptual framework for professional psychology. It provides an overview of the whole treatment process as informed by a biopsychosocial approach, from intake through outcomes assessment.

Psychology of Health - Biopsychosocial Approach is based on the bio-psychosocial model of health, which aims to examine how biological, psychological, and social factors influence people's behavior regarding their health status. This book reflects the application of the bio-psychosocial model of health in many disciplines such as public health, psychology, psychiatric, mental health, community health, and nursing education. All the authors of this book have demonstrated how the bio-psychosocial model played an important role in addressing mental disease, tuberculosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obesity. This is an important book for students, academics, policy-makers, and community health practitioners.

Foundations of Health Service Psychology 2e describes a comprehensive science-based approach to the clinical practice of psychology. It systematically applies scientific advances in understanding human psychology to updating the conceptual frameworks used for education, practice, and research in health service psychology. This new edition includes significant elaboration on recent research. Neural and behavioral science research regarding many aspects of cognition, emotion, and behavior has strengthened substantially over the past decade as has the role of evolutionary theory for understanding why humans are "designed” the way we are. The movement toward integrated primary care has also advanced considerably. These and other topics are updated significantly in this new edition. The new edition is also reorganized to streamline the presentation. Presents a unified conceptual framework for health service psychology Overviews the whole treatment process from a biopsychosocial approach, from intake through outcomes assessment Includes major advances in both the science and practice of psychology Avoids highly technical language so that students and practitioners from across the field can easily follow the discussion

Understanding Psychopathy is an essential, accessible new guide on psychopathy and its development. Through the lens of the biopsychosocial model, Thomson explores a wide range of factors contributing to the development of psychopathy, from the genetic to the environmental, supported by the latest research into the disorder. Thomson examines psychopathy from all angles, analysing social, psychological and biological factors, in addition to the history and assessment of psychopathy, and links to violent crime. Theory and research are supported throughout with fascinating case studies. These case studies provide accessible and relevant examples for readers who are new to the field, and to those more familiar with psychopathy and its implications. Understanding Psychopathy is a brilliant resource for psychology students, researchers and practitioners in the criminal justice system alike, with grounding in forensic psychology, clinical psychology and criminology. The author is donating his royalties in full to Project EMPOWER, UK, a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to enhancing prevention and intervention services to individuals and their families who experience intimate partner violence, sexual violence, domestic violence, or human trafficking.