This conceptualization of health and illness has many scientific and practical benefits. cultural influences, family relationships and social support). lifestyle, stress, health beliefs) and social conditions (e.g. genetic predisposition), behavioral factors, (e.g. This is reflected in the biopsychosocial model that views health and illness as the product of a combination of factors including biological characteristics (e.g. Unfortunately, for many professionals in the medical field, this role is unclear.Īdvances in psychological, medical, and physiological research have led to a new way of thinking about health and illness. In this integrative approach, clinical health psychology must play a significant role. His statement clearly emphasizes the importance of integrating the biomedical, behavioral and psychosocial sciences in understanding the way the brain and the mind work and interact to generate normality or abnormality. Eisenherg found himself at the turn of the century, with the reality of integration. Like other authoritative figures in medicine, L. Eisenberg is one of the leading figures of psychiatry. This statement is a quotation from the editorial address of the British Journal of Psychiatry as its entry into the 21 st century. “Neither the mindless nor the brainless can be tolerated in medicine” (Lean Eisenberg, 2000). The nature of dysfunctions and the physicians’ transaction with the patient must also be informed by the psychosocial understanding. “Biomedical knowledge is essential for providing sound medical care, but it is not sufficient. Professional and educational issues have also been discussed. This article describes and discusses the significant role of clinical health psychology in the provision of health care, following a biopsychosocial perspective of health and illness. They perform their clinical roles according to rigorous ethical principles and code of conduct. In addition, they play a major role in the promotion of healthy behavior, preventing diseases and improving patients’ quality of life. Overall, psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat the psychological problems and the behavioral dysfunctions resulting from, or related to physical and mental health. The clinical role of psychologists as health providers is diverse with the varying areas of care giving (primary, secondary and tertiary care) and a variety of subspecialties. Psychology as a behavioral health discipline is the key to the biopsychosocial practice, and plays a major role in understanding the concept of health and illness. Therefore, dealing with health and illness overtakes looking for the presence or absence of the disease and infirmity (the biomedical paradigm) to the biopsychosocial paradigm in which health means a state of complete physical, psychological and social well-being. Advances in the biomedical and the behavioral sciences have paved the way for the integration of medical practice towards the biopsychosocial approach.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |