A Critical Evaluation of the Biopsychosocial Model The biopsychosocial perspective (BPS model) enables biological, psychological and social

processes to come together interactively as a means of determining human health and illness. This is in contrast to traditional models which have placed biological aspects central to explanations of health and illness. Whilst the premise of the BPS model is intriguing and claims to benefit both practitioners and patients, Suls and Rothman (2004) have provided several arguments against the model. Keeping Suls and Rothmans arguments in mind, this essay will attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of the BPS model using three studies from fields of mental health, child development and health psychology. While Suls and Rothman (2004) agree that the BPS model is indeed intriguing, they argue that in order for further growth to occur, the linkages between the biological, psychological and social aspects should be further investigated (Suls & Rothman, 2004). That is to say, the model encompasses a multiple system, multilevel and multivariate nature whereby the model input levels will vary with each different situation. In a child development study conducted by Skybo (2005) which assessed the biopsychosocial impacts of violence on children, there was no indication of which input would be considered as most dominant to the impact of violence on children. Vagueness of input levels can prove to be of concern especially when researchers attempt to interpret results in a meaningful way. In addition to this, Suls and Rothman (2004) have also supported the notion that ethnicity and culture should be factored into research analyses using a theory-based approach. However, psychologists have often failed in accounting for such differences effectively (Suls & Rothman, 2004). Although results from Skybo (2005) suggested that race and ethnicity did not have any significant effects on childrens biopsychosocial symptoms, the study can be applauded for taking those factors into account. Nevertheless, the current BPS model lacks the concrete framework needed to address such factors. As Suls and Rothman (2004) have argued, further developments are crucial in order to determine whether such factors can affect health outcomes in patients. In a mental health study conducted by Misri, Albert, Abizadeh, Kendrick, Carter, Ryan and Oberlander, (2012) which looked at the mood and anxiety disorders of women postpartum, biopsychosocial variables were used as determinants for their treatment outcome. This study is one of few which have successfully taken into account all three factors of the BPS model when determining treatment outcomes for the women with anxiety and depression postpartum. The study demonstrated this by measuring a wide range of biopsychosocial variables including participants personal and family history of mental disorders, their partners or support systems, and

information about their childhood sexual abuse, (Misri et al., 2012). As Suls and Rothman (2004) have previously argued, it is often rare to find all three indicators the same study. Therefore, efficient use of the BPS model requires extensive data collection, assessing all three biological, psychological and social levels. Whilst such information can be helpful in generating strong results, it is rather time consuming and is difficult to be carried out in most studies. Lastly, the BPS model was also used as a determinant of sexual dysfunction in middle-aged and older Australian men in a health study conducted by Martin, Atlantis, Wilson, Lange, Haren, Taylor, Wittert, (2012). Although the study provided all biopsychosocial determinants of sexual dysfunction in men, it failed to mention the interplay between the three variables. Because the BPS model has yet to be fully developed, studies such as Martin et al. (2012) which adopt the model may only be capable of generating vague results. Due to this problem, results can be both hard to interpret and implement in real practice. This particular study has reflected the last argument made by Suls and Rothman (2004), who argued that often many studies have important implications for practice, however are rarely implemented. This argument can be traced back to the idea that the BPS model is still underdeveloped and therefore cannot be sufficiently translated into real practices. Overall, the BPS model is one which promises great success in the future. In recent years, it has consistently been adopted into research; however it still lacks understanding and is hard to be implemented. In addition to this, it is time consuming, and neglects relevant factors such as culture and ethnicity. Nevertheless, the adoption of this model into research has provided great benefits as it has broadened researchers views on determinants of health and illness. By addressing the arguments presented by Suls and Rothman (2004), the BPS model may be able to evolve into a wellrounded perspective, which can be used with more success in future research.

Martin, S., Atlantis, E., Wilson, D., Lange, K., Haren, M. T., Taylor, A., & Wittert, G. (2012). Clinical and Biopsychosocial Determinants of Sexual Dysfunction in Middle-Aged and Older Australian

Men. International Society for Sexual Medicine, 9, 2093-2103. doi: 10.1111/j.17436109.2012.02805.x Misri, S., Albert, G., Abizadeh, J., Kendrick, K., Carter, D., Ryan, D., & Oberlander, T. F. (2012). Biopsychosocial determinants of treatment outcome for mood and anxiety disorders up to 8 months postpartum. Womens Mental Health, 15, 313-316. doi: 10.1007/s00737-012-0288-9 Skybo, T. (2005). Witnessing Violence: Biopsychosocial Impact on Children. Pediatric Nursing, 31(4), 263-270. Suls, J., & Rothman, A. (2004). Evolution of the biopsychosocial model: prospects and challenges for health psychology. Health Psychology, 23, 119-125.