The Biopsychosocial model of health and wellness suggests that biology, psychology, and social institutions interact to have the greatest influence on our physical and mental well-being.

The Biopsychosocial model of health and wellness suggests that biology, psychology, and social institutions interact to have the greatest influence on our physical and mental well-being. The social interactions that typically have the greatest influence are those with the people who mattered to us as we grew up. This includes parents and other family members. It might also include a neighbor or teacher.

According to the Biopsychosocial model, changing a behavior is a function of three factors:

Individual characteristics

Environmental factors

Reciprocal determinism – which is the interaction between the individual characteristics and the environmental factors.

Consider the following case for discussion:

Jimmy, a 12-year-old boy who is extremely bright and articulate, has lost his father to COVID 19, and his mother has had a hard time with the death. Jimmy attend school regularly but Mr. Jordan, Jimmy’s 7th grade teacher has noticed a change in his behavior. A meeting was scheduled, and the mom asked Mr. Jordan to please call her and remind her about the appointment. “I have been so scattered lately.” Mr. Jordan explained to mom that Jimmy was a bright and articulate boy, but his grades were falling due to an inability to stay on task, excessive talking, interrupting others, and difficulty turning in assignments.

Mom starts crying and has a hard time discussing the issues Jimmy is having.

Initial Post

Use the Biopsychosocial model and the concepts above (including reciprocal determinism) to discuss Jimmy’s various mental health concerns with your classmates. In your discussion, examine and explain how these behaviors could change.

Consider the following:

Do you think there are mental health concerns? Is his behavior abnormal?

What are some of the social factors that may be contributing to Jimmy’s mental health?

What are some of the psychological factors that may be contributing to Jimmy’s mental health?

What may be some of the biological factors that may be contributing to his mental health?