Health Psychology Prompts 1

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY PROMPTS 1 Name: Grade Course: Tutor’s Name: (14 April, 2012) The Nature of Health and Illness using the Biomedical model and the Biopsychosocial Model The biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model explain the nature of both health and illness. To begin with, the biomedical model normally holds that all illnesses may be explained be biologically explained. The model makes an assumption that social and psychological processes does not depend on disease processes. It further puts emphasis on a mind-body dualism where the body and the mind work as isolated entities. Within the model, a lot of emphasis is put on put upon the treatment of illnesses and not the promotion of health. In addition, health is taken as disease absence (Boyer & Paharia, 2008). The model is openly appropriate for various disease based illnesses. It contains an intuitive nature and is promoted by various biological findings. However, the model embraces reductionism. Hence, it combines various closely associated sets of beliefs. These beliefs include that all diseases cause symptoms at later stages of the disease. Despite the fact that other factors may affect the effects of the disease, there is no relationship with its manifestation or development. On the other hand, the biopsychosocial model emphasizes the fact that people are systems of complexity. In addition, it holds that illnesses occur because of various factors and not because of one causal factor (Wade, 2001). The model represents an attempt to come up with integration of the environmental and psychological factors into the ancient biological model. The biological factors of contribution are viruses, bacteria, structural defects and genetics. In addition, the psychological factors were described on the basis of cognition like heath treatment, emotions like treatment of fear and behavior like diets, smoking, consumption of alcohol and smoking. The model views illnesses as a combination of factors (Friedman, 2011). The model also does not view individuals as just passive victims. It emphasizes the fact that the entire individual should be given treatment and not simply the physical alterations which occur. This might be in the form of change of behavior, enhancing changes in belief and existing with strategies. In addition, the model emphasizes on medical, request compliance. The model also holds that the patient is partly responsible for their treatment. This can occur in terms of the responsibility to take medication and both behavioral and change in belief responsibility (Porter, 1997). Methods of Research in Health Psychology Health psychology is an empirical science. Thus, it uses various scientific methods for research. Health psychologists use various lines of empirical research in order to open a potential relationship between two related phenomena. In addition, they also establish the cause of reoccurring conditions or determine nonpharmacological efficacy such as behavioral interventions (Ghaemi, 2009). These methods of research used by health psychologists include observational methods, experiments or surveys. In addition, there can be a combination of both observation and survey methods to arrive at a given conclusion. Observations This method includes case studies and reports. It deals with observation of behavior and the ultimate recording of a systematic variable or characteristic of such like behavior. This method contains various advantages. It normally uncovers relationships between disease and behavior. In addition, this method is capable of characterizing low-incident occurrences. On the contrary, this method has various limitations (Snooks, 2009). For example, it is not able to describe casualty or the association degree in the extended population. In addition, it is very easy for the observer to influence the made observations. The influence may also include the perception of such behaviors (Fink, 2009). Sur...