Medical Model Of Mental Illness

6. Describe the medical model of mental illness. What is the focus of this model? What does it ignore? The medical model of mental illness is an important tool in uncovering the biological cause of mental issues. Genetics plays a large role in mental health within a family. Certain mental illness ( such as schizophrenia, or manic depression are likely to be passed on to offspring, and the medical model explains why genics affect one’s mental health state. The medical model focuses on a traditional approach to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Medical history, physical examinations and diagnostic tests are used to identify any mental illness that are underlying or already present. Although the medical model focuses on the physical and biological aspects of these conditions, there is debate
Erik Erikson, one of the most famous psychoanalysts in history, is praised for his well known theories of personality development. Much like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed in childhood being an essential period of personality growth that can be divided into stages. While Freud’s theories were psychosexual discoveries, Erikson's theory details the impact of social behavior throughout one’s whole life. An important element in Erikson's psychosocial stage theory is the adapted ego. Childhood is when personality is being crafted and so is mental health and if one were to endure a trauma, they develop a chance of a mental illness. Trauma such as sexual assault, abuse or death of a loved one can cause an onslaught of emotion that can fester into depression, anxiety, dementia, or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just to name a few. 8. In your own words, what do you think is the greatest social problem facing our nation today? What social policies and programs (either locally or at the state or national level) do you think are needed to adequately address this social