Question

Briefly describe the three components of the biopsychosocial model of abnormal behavior.

Answer 1

Biopsychosocial model encourages clinicians to examine all biological, social and psychological factors contributing towards abnormal behaviour as only single factor does not lead to abnormal behaviour. It means biological factors such as genetics, chemical imbalance in brain. Psychological factors would include factors such as moods, personality, traits of a person. Social factors would mean such as family, situational, work place factors playing role behind the abnormal behaviour. It is commonly known as BPS model.

Let us take abnormal behaviour such as anxiety disorder GAD developed in a person ageing 50. Biological factors would check the history, is anxiety is in the genes, is there any chemical imbalance let us say due to any accident or due to any extra stress event. Psychological factors would include traits of any person, is the person too much of thinker, is the person anxious by nature, can't the person settle down if anything goes wrong, whereas social factors would include what triggers anxiety is there any specific event? Is it pertaining to any family issue, or work place? Is the person facing any problem in work life or has he experienced any problem in work or family life before which is root cause of the problem.