Assignment 2: Concepts Scenario

Although the idea of health might

seem obvious it gets defined in many
different ways.
How individuals think about health can
have an effect

How would you describe your physical health?

What effects your physical health?

What is spiritual
health? Does everyone
have it? What effects
it?

How would you describe your

mental health? What effects your
psychological health?

What is there in
your society that
effects your
health?

What is there in your

environment that
effects your health?

What is Illness, Disease &

Disability?

Are Illness, Disease & Disability

Indicators of Ill Health?
What do you consider to be ill health?

Does someone with a prosthetic leg and who can do all the things
that an able bodied person do, have a disability?
Do all people with disabilities have ill health?
Do all illnesses and diseases cause ill health?

What is
Illness?
Illness is subjective.

I feel ill can mean different

things to different people.
Both these boys have the same
symptoms, one feels ill and one
doesnt.

What perspective does

What is Disease?
Disease is Objective.

Symptoms have been diagnosed

and have been given a specific
name, eg Chickenpox or Cancer or
Depression or Multiple Sclerosis
etc

Either you have a disease or you

dont.

This child has measles

The
Clinical
Iceberg
1/3
patie
nts
visit
the
doct
2/3 patients do not
or
visit the doctor
or health
professionals

This theory says that

because only 1/3 of patients
present their symptoms to a
health professional we are
never really sure how many
people have ill health.

It gives an indication that

peoples concept of ill health
are different.

Why do you think only 1/3 of people visit the doctor?

Think about the perspectives we have already looked at.

Positive
definition
s

We are healthy if we feel well.

A positive concept of health refers to the

aspect of physical emotional, intellectual
and social well-being of a person in terms of
being free from any ailments or diseases

So
A person with a disability
who leads a full life and is
content may be regarded
as healthy

Can you
think
of

Negative
definitions
of health

An absence of
disease.

I am healthy because I do not

have an illness or disability

Can you think of an

example?

Which definition do you find most useful and why?

Which definition do you

use?
Why?

Holistic
definitions
of health

Seeing the person as a whole with

All aspects of people's
all needs being addressed

needs including
psychological,
physical
social
should be taken into
account and seen as a
whole

TheW.H.Osdefinition
ofhealth

being:
a state of complete physical,
mental and social wellbeing, not
merely the absence of disease of
infirmity (WHO., 1946)
Write this quote down & answer the
question:

The W.H.Os definition of

health and well-being would
suggest that someone who
holds a negative definition of
health would not be healthy
as all their needs are not
r
e
b
m
e
being addressed.
m
e
R
ks.
n
i
l
e
s
the

Someone who suffers from

depression
but has&awrite
good
Think of an example
it
level and down.
exercise but no
disease is still not healthy.

The Bio-Medical
model
of health

The lack of disease and

illness

If physical needs are taken care of then the

person is viewed to be healthy.
on
i
t
i
e
n
fi
h
de
T
h
c
i
h
W
e
h
t
k
n
i
you th tive
a
g
e
NBio-Medical
sn
te
a
l
e
r
o
l
e niti
dfi
mo
De
to?

a person may view

themselves as healthy if
they do not have a disease,
illness or disability.

The main purpose of the bio-medical

model of health is for health services is to
CURE diseases.
.It doesnt take into account any social
or environmental factors, therefore the
prevention of disease is omitted.

Can you
think
of

According to this model, health

constitutes the freedom from disease,
pain, or defect, thus making the normal
human condition "healthy".Study of
Study &
diagnosis of
disease

chemical
processes within
the body

The model's focus on the physical

The scientific
processes,
such as the pathology, the
study of function
in living systems
biochemistry and the physiology

The Socio-Medica
model
of health

Factors that
The socio medical model of health
P
olto
lutio
contribute
focuses on the social factors
that
n
t
e
i
contribute
to
health
and
well-being
in
D
good society.
health and
Poo
wellbeing
r
H
ou
vert

Po What kind of things do you think

s in
g
y
this perspective particularly looks
at?

An Example
Poor housing and poverty are causes to respiratory
problems,
in response to these causes and origins of ill health the
socio-medical model aimed to encourage society to
include better housing and introduce programmes to
tackle poverty as a solution.

Tackling and preventing the CAUSE, not

fixing the outer issue.

When the socio medical model was introduced

life expectancy rose and death rates fell

Which definition of health do you think

that this model
relates to?

The
Holis
t
i
c
Appr
oach

Why
?
This model focuses on the PREVENTION
rather than a CURE.

Activity
Aziz and Tamsela have 4 young children. Tamselas elderly
parents live with them. Their 3 bed-roomed house is in a
deprived and rather depressing area of London. Their house is
in a poor state of repair; it is damp and very expensive to keep
warm in the winter. Neither Aziz nor Tamsela are currently in
paid work.

The family is in poor health. In winter the children seem to

have permanent colds. Tamsela suffers from asthma and her
father from bronchitis. Tamselas mother is depressed and has
been prescribed drugs for this condition.

To Achieve P2:

Provide a brief explanation of each of the

sociological concepts of health and ill health and
identify links between them.
Use examples to enhance your work and show
understanding.
One paragraph per concept is adequate.

Positive
definition
s

Negative
definitions
of health

Holistic
definitions
of health

TheW.H.Osdefinition
ofhealth

The Bio-Medical
model
of health

The Socio-Medica
model
of health