Medical Model In The Treatment Of Schizophrenia

In the treatment of schizophrenia, the medical model is the most commonly used paradigm of treatment (Beresford, 2005). On one hand, the medical model has helped to reduce the blame and stigma towards families of individuals with schizophrenia – the belief that they caused the illness. On the other hand, families still do feel disregarded or dismissed as irrelevant by mental health professionals (Johnson, 2000). McLean (1990) criticises the medical model for ignoring the individuals or family’s experience with the disease – neglecting issues which may be important to help better understand the problem. McLean (1990) also found that families of the individuals’ complain that doctors only see the disorder and not the person. Additionally, she
Peplau (1987) argues that the main problem of the medical model is that the responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health patients are in the hands of health ‘professionals’. Hamilton et al. (2016) found key themes mentally ill people experienced with their health care professionals such as; feeling excluded from decisions, being forced into a treatment as a result from been given insufficient information about their condition and treatment options, long waits when seeking help, being told they will never get well and being spoken to in a condescending manner.
This can be directed to lack awareness from doctors. Professionals may not be aware of the subtle unintended ways their beliefs and behaviours may contribute to creating an unconscious bias. However, these undoubtedly has negative consequences; it creates barriers.