Medical Model Use in Psychology

The medical model suggests that mental health disorders are the product of some type of physical condition. Psychiatrist R.D. Laing coined the term in The Politics of the Family and Other Essays, indicating that this model is a “set of procedures in which all doctors are trained.”

Learning more about what the medical model is, including its assumptions, can help us better understand why certain psychological conditions are treated using similar methods as those used for physical illnesses. An example of this is using medication to treat anxiety disorders.

What Is the Medical Model?

The medical model treats mental disorders as physical diseases that result in specific symptoms or functional impairments. As such, medication is often used in their treatment. In psychology, the medical model is more widely used by psychiatrists than psychologists,

Supporters of the medical model usually consider symptoms to be telltale signs of an inner physical disorder. They believe that if symptoms are connected, it can be characterized as a syndrome.

Medical Model Assumptions

The biological approach of the medical model focuses on a person’s genetics, neurotransmitters, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and other aspects of their physical makeup. It uses the same type of framework used to diagnose and treat physical illnesses such as the common cold to also diagnose and treat psychological conditions.

Psychopathology says that disorders have an organic or physical cause. The medical model approach suggests that mental conditions are related to the brain’s physical structure and functioning.

Symptoms of mental illness, such as hallucinations, can be categorized as syndromes caused by disease. The appearance of these symptoms allows a psychiatrist to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Medical Model and Mental Health

Based on the medical model, mental illness should be treated, in part, as a medical condition. Thus, this treatment typically involves the use of prescription medications.

Medications prescribed for mental health disorders work by changing the brain’s chemistry. In most cases, these medications increase, decrease, or otherwise modify a brain-based chemical that is responsible for regulating or affecting mood, perception, anxiety, or other mental responses.

Medical Model Example: Anxiety Disorders

One example of how the medical model is applied to mental health is anxiety. Studies have shown that individuals who are diagnosed with anxiety disorders, including phobias, often have an issue with the regulation of serotonin levels in their brains.

Serotonin is a chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters modulate the signals between neurons and other cells. Serotonin impacts a variety of mental health processes, one of which impacts mood.

A serotonin level that is too high or too low is associated with both depression and anxiety. Consequently, these types of mental health conditions are often treated with a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

An SSRI prevents some of the serotonin from being reabsorbed. It stays in the synaptic gap in order to further stimulate the second nerve cell. SSRIs are not the only medications used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but they are among the most effective.

Criticisms of the Medical Model For Mental Illness

Not everyone accepts that mental health disorders are always a result of some type of medical or physical health issue. One of the main criticisms of this approach is that it fails to take into account other factors that can impact a person’s mental health, such as their environment.

Some suggest that psychological conditions are a direct byproduct of societal issues such as oppression. This is referred to as the social model of disability and provides a different view of how mental illness may form, in addition to how it would be treated (i.e., by instigating societal changes versus medication-based treatments).

Medical model criticisms are just one example of the age-old nature versus nurture debate. Are mental health conditions a result of our biology or our environment? Most experts agree that it is a combination of both, so treating these issues often involves a variety of approaches—including medication and psychotherapy.