Introduction

Question 1

What is health?

Answer 1

WHO = “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”

Question 2

Why define health?

Answer 2

Health = goal of healthcare & research so need to know what it looks like & how to measure it

Question 3

What is the biomedical approach?

Answer 3

-Explains health in terms of bio - attaches importance to anatomy & physiology
-Assumes - all causes of disease can be understood in bio terms
-Assumes disease can be explained by deviations from ‘norms’ of bio functioning

Question 4

Which models shows an interrelated approach to health?

Answer 4

Biopsychosocial model

Question 5

What does the biopsychosocial model take into account?

Answer 5

Recognises health = result of combined bio, soc & psych factors
-V. diff to biomed model
-Relationship between psychological & physiological processes = bidirectional

Question 6

What do social & psychological factors of health assume?

Answer 6

Although social factors = important, their effects must be mediated by some form of evaluative, psychological or psychobiological process that transforms ext injury into int illness

Question 7

Assumptions of the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 7

Question 8

Criticisms of the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 8

Puts more emphasis on psychological processes & underplays & doesn’t define social variables as clearly

Question 9

What is medical sociology?

Answer 9

Sociology = examines individual’s social action (agency) & the community’s social & physical context (structure)
-Focus = on context people live in, interact, work, & play (rather than on individual, which = focus of psychological disciplines)