Medical Model in Psychology

The medical model is a framework for understanding mental health conditions as physical ailments that result in specific signs or functional impairments. It is often used by psychiatrists, who may prescribe medication as part of treatment.

Understanding the Medical Model

According to the medical model, mental disorders are physical diseases that cause specific symptoms or functional impairments. Psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, are more likely to use the medical model than psychologists.

Proponents of the medical model typically interpret symptoms as indicators of an underlying physical disorder. They believe that a group of interconnected symptoms may form a syndrome.

Assumptions of the Medical Model

The medical model takes a biological approach to understanding mental disorders, focusing on genetics, neurotransmitters, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and other physical attributes. It uses a framework similar to that used to diagnose and treat physical illnesses, such as the common cold.

Adherents of the medical model believe that psychopathology, or mental illness, has an organic or physical cause. They suggest that mental disorders are related to the physical structure and functioning of the brain.

Symptoms of mental illness, such as hallucinations, can be categorized as disease-induced syndromes. These symptoms allow psychiatrists to diagnose and prescribe treatment for mental disorders.

The Medical Model and Mental Health

According to the medical model, mental illness should be treated similarly to a medical condition. Therefore, treatment typically involves prescription medications.

Psychiatric medications work by altering brain chemistry. They can increase, decrease, or modify the levels of brain chemicals that regulate mood, perception, anxiety, and other mental responses.

When used appropriately, medication can significantly improve mental health functioning.

An Example of the Medical Model: Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is an example of how the medical model is applied to mental health. Studies have shown that individuals with anxiety disorders, including phobias, often have problems regulating the levels of serotonin in their brains.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger that carries signals between neurons and other cells. It plays a role in various mental health processes, including mood regulation.

Normally, serotonin is released from a nerve cell into the synaptic gap between cells. It is then recognized by the next nerve cell, which transmits a signal to the brain. The serotonin is then reabsorbed by the first nerve cell.

Both depression and anxiety are associated with serotonin levels that are either too high or too low. As a result, these mental health conditions are often treated with antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

SSRIs prevent some of the serotonin from being reabsorbed, keeping it in the synaptic gap to further stimulate the second nerve cell. While not the only medications used to treat anxiety disorders, SSRIs are among the most effective.

Criticisms of the Medical Model for Mental Illness

Not everyone believes that mental health disorders are always caused by a medical or physical health problem. One major criticism of the medical model is that it overlooks other factors, such as environment, that can impact a person's mental health.

Some suggest that psychological disorders are a direct result of societal issues, such as oppression. This is known as the social model of disability, and it offers a different perspective on how mental illness may develop and be treated (i.e., through societal changes rather than medication).

Criticisms of the medical model highlight the long-standing nature versus nurture debate. Do mental health conditions stem from our biology or our environment? Most experts agree that it is a combination of both, which has led to a variety of treatment approaches, including medication and psychotherapy.