Models of Illness

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Models of Illness

• Dr Bruce Davies

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Why Models?

• What is an illness?
• What is health?
• Not just the absence of disease.
• Many ways of looking at what constitutes health
  and disease.

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Roles

• Help us understand our role and the needs of
  patients.
• Why?
• Illness behaviour.
• Fashion.
• Social context.
• Political context.

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Illness Models

• Magic model.
• Moral model.
• Political model.
• Behavioural model.
• Psychoanalytical model.
• Cognitive dissonance model.

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Illness Models

• Systems theory model.
• Anti-psychiatric model.
• Radical model.
• Sociological model.
• Humanistic model.

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Magic Model

• Said to be common in Haiti, perhaps a rather
  condescending idea!
• The western model of its a viral infection is
  however identical!

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Moral Model

• Retribution for deviant behaviour.
• Where the blame is shifted to the patient.
• Perhaps that will teach you to do as you are
  told and keep your coat on.

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Political Model

• Improved working conditions will treat back pain.
• Higher pensions will make all the elderly well.
• Better housing etc.

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Behavioural Model

• Manipulative behaviours.
• Compensation claims.
• Secondary gains.
• What are they getting out of it?
• Enhanced benefits if unemployed.

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Psychoanalytical Model

• Illness is the egos attempt to defend itself
  against unresolved unconscious conflicts.
• Why is cancer more likely within 18 months of a
  bereavement?

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Cognitive Dissonance Model

• Discrepancy between self-image and reality.
• Classic example is anorexia nervosa.

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Systems Theory Model

• Regulating factor modifying or stabilising a
  familys interpersonal processes.
• For example asthma in a 6 year old, in a marital
  breakdown.

13
Anti-psychiatric Model

• Illness is A booby prize for being the loser in
  a familys internal power struggle

14
Radical Model

• An invented label.
• The monopolistic medical profession.
• Why to rates of common operations (i.e.
  hysterectomy) vary with out measurable effects on
  health?

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Sociological Model

• Illness is what you call it if you want a doctor
  to deal with it ie delinquency.
• Anti-social behaviour is what you call it if you
  want the legal system to deal with it ie
  delinquency
• etc

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Humanistic Model

• Illness is a sign of frustrated human potential.