BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH 2
Biopsychosocial Approach towards Understanding Mental Illness
The identification and appropriate diagnosis of mental illnesses are necessary because it
enhances intervention outcomes. A large number of mental illnesses require the right diagnosis
because the symptoms often overlap. The paper examines one anxiety disorder and one mood
disorder and explores the biopsychosocial approach to mental illness.
One example of an anxiety disorder is the panic disorder, which refers to a sudden attack
of severe anxiety not triggered by any particular situation or object. The patient experiences
shortness of breath, tremors, sweating, suffocation, fear of losing self-control, and increased
heartbeat among other physical symptoms. Some people might not realize that the disorder is
real and responds to treatment and so disease awareness is crucial to enhancing intervention.
One mood disorder is bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings.
The patient goes through either the elated (manic) phase or the depressive phase. During the
manic phase, the patient appears argumentative, makes poor judgments, and shows the lack of
control over ideas (Sajatovic & Blow, 2007). The depressive phase is characterized by insomnia
and agitation. Various types of bipolar disorder exist, such as bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic
disorder, and the other specified/unspecified bipolar and related disorders.
The biopsychosocial approach to mental illness examines the interaction between a
person’s genetic makeup, mental health, and the sociocultural environment and their effect on
health or illness (Bandelow, Domschke, & Baldwin, 2014). The interplay among the above
dimensions determines whether a person experiences good health or illness.
In conclusion, people with mental illness require care and attention because the illness
often carries a stigma. The family members and the society should recognize the telltale signs
