M1: Biomedical and Social Models of Health Flashcards
What is the WHO definition of Health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well- being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
What is the Biomedical Model of Health?
- Assumes “health and illness are objective biological states”
- Health = individual responsibility
- Cure disease, limit disability, and reduce risk.
- Based on the diagnosis and explanation of illness as a malfunction of the body’s biological mechanisms
- Underpins most health professions & health care services
- Focus is on treating individuals – not the origins of illness
What are the Two Models of Health?
1) Biomedical model
2) Social model
What is the Biomedical Conceptualization of Illness and Disease?
“Disease is an objectively measurable pathology of the physical body, which is the result of malfunctioning parts of the body. Cure is through chemotherapeutic, surgical, [behaviour modification through lifestyle change], or other ‘heroic’ means. Hospitals, as places for the practice of high-tech medicine, are of primary importance”
What are the Defining Characteristics Biomedical Model of Health? (4)
- Cartesian mind/body dualism
- Machine metaphor
- Doctrine of ‘specific etiology’
- Technological imperative
Biomedical Model of Health
What is the Cartesian Mind/Body Dualism?
A concept introduced by 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes.
Descartes famously stated, “I think, therefore I am.”
Dualism: The mind and body are separate entities.
- The brain relates to the physical body.
- The mind is associated with the spiritual realm.
Biomedical Model of Health
How does Cartesian Mind/Body Dualism influence health interventions?
- In Cartesian Dualism, disease/illness in the body leads to health interventions focusing on the body.
- Psychological/subjective (experiential) aspects of illness are often ignored.
- The body is treated by medical professionals, while the mind/spirit is often addressed by religious authorities.
Biomedical Model of Health
What is the ‘Body as Machine’ metaphor in health? (4)
- The body is viewed as a machine with discrete parts (organs, bones, etc.).
- Disease & illness are seen as the “breakdown” of the body.
- Health practitioners work to “repair” the body, focusing on individual parts.
- This metaphor emphasizes that body parts exist in isolation, separated from the person’s social, cultural, and environmental context.
Biomedical Model of Health
What is the Doctrine of Specific Etiology?
- The Doctrine of Specific Etiology is the belief that each disease has a specific, identifiable cause.
- Disease is assumed to originate from specific and knowable causes (e.g., germs, viruses, trauma).
- This doctrine leads to the search for a ‘magic bullet’ (medication, surgery, or treatment) to target and cure the disease.
Biomedical Model of Health
What is the Technological Imperative in healthcare?
- The Technological Imperative refers to the treatment and repair of the body through technological interventions.
- Examples include prescription medications, radiation/chemotherapy, and surgery.
- Healthcare experts apply these technologies to the body to treat illness or injury.
What are the Limits of the Biomedical Model?
(4)
- The fallacy of the ‘specific etiology’ doctrine
- Objectification and medical scientism
- Reductionism and biological determinism
- Victim blaming
What is the social model of health?
- Assumes that health is related to and determined by various social factors (e.g., income, education, gender, culture).
- Promoting health should be a social responsibility, rather than just an individual one.
- Aims to prevent illness, reduce health inequities, and address the underlying social causes of illness.
What are the defining characteristics of the Social Model of Health? (3)
- Social production/distribution of health and illness: Health and illness are influenced by social and economic factors.
- Social construction of health and illness: Ideas about health and illness are shaped by societal norms and values.
- Social organization of health care: The structure of healthcare systems is shaped by social and political factors.
Social Model of Health
What is the Social Production/Distribution of Health and Illness?
- Illness is influenced by an individual’s social environment, such as living conditions, work environment, and socioeconomic status.
- Risk-imposing factors are social conditions that increase the likelihood of illness.
- Social conditions can directly contribute to the production and distribution of illness and risk.
Social Model of Health
What is the Social Construction of Health and Illness?
“What is considered to be a disease in one culture or time period may be considered normal and healthy elsewhere and at other times” (Germov & Hornosty, 2017, p. 21).
- Example: Homosexuality.