Learn About the Bio-Psychosocial Approach with 15 MCQs

Learn About the Bio-Psychosocial Approach with 15 MCQs

Comprehensive Note on the Bio-Psychosocial Approach



The Bio-Psychosocial (BPS) approach is a holistic model that integrates biological, psychological, and social factors to understand and address health, illness, and well-being. Introduced by George Engel in 1977, it challenges the traditional biomedical model, which focuses solely on biological causes of disease. The BPS model recognizes that health outcomes are influenced by a complex interplay of factors across multiple domains, making it widely applicable in medicine, psychology, and public health.

Key Components of the BPS Approach:

  1. Biological Factors: These include genetics, physiology, neurochemistry, and physical health conditions. For example, a genetic predisposition to diabetes or a bacterial infection can influence health.

  2. Psychological Factors: These encompass emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and mental health conditions. Stress, coping mechanisms, and disorders like depression or anxiety play a significant role in health outcomes.

  3. Social Factors: These involve environmental and societal influences, such as family dynamics, socioeconomic status, cultural norms, and access to healthcare. Social support or isolation can profoundly impact well-being.

Applications of the BPS Approach:

  • Healthcare: Clinicians use the BPS model to develop comprehensive treatment plans, considering not only physical symptoms but also mental health and social circumstances.

  • Mental Health: The model helps explain how social stressors and biological vulnerabilities contribute to disorders like schizophrenia or addiction.

  • Chronic Illness Management: For conditions like chronic pain or heart disease, the BPS approach guides interventions that address lifestyle, emotional resilience, and community support alongside medical treatment.

Strengths of the BPS Approach:

  • Promotes a holistic understanding of health.

  • Encourages patient-centered care.

  • Integrates multidisciplinary interventions (e.g., medication, therapy, social support).

Limitations:

  • Can be complex to implement due to the need for expertise across domains.

  • May lack specificity in certain cases where biological factors dominate.

  • Requires time and resources for comprehensive assessment.

The BPS approach remains a cornerstone in modern healthcare, emphasizing that no single factor—biological, psychological, or social—fully explains health or illness. Instead, their interaction shapes individual experiences and outcomes.


Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Single Correct Answer

  1. Who introduced the Bio-Psychosocial model?
    a) Sigmund Freud
    b) George Engel
    c) Ivan Pavlov
    d) Carl Rogers
    Answer: b) George Engel
    Explanation: George Engel proposed the BPS model in 1977 to expand the biomedical approach.

  2. Which of the following is a core component of the Bio-Psychosocial model?
    a) Technological factors
    b) Psychological factors
    c) Economic factors
    d) Political factors
    Answer: b) Psychological factors
    Explanation: The BPS model includes biological, psychological, and social factors.

  3. What does the Bio-Psychosocial model primarily challenge?
    a) Behavioral model
    b) Biomedical model
    c) Cognitive model
    d) Humanistic model
    Answer: b) Biomedical model
    Explanation: The BPS model critiques the biomedical model’s focus on purely biological causes.

Multiple Correct Answers

  1. Which of the following are considered biological factors in the BPS model? (Select all that apply)
    a) Genetics
    b) Socioeconomic status
    c) Neurochemical imbalances
    d) Stressful life events
    Answer: a) Genetics, c) Neurochemical imbalances
    Explanation: Genetics and neurochemical imbalances are biological, while socioeconomic status and stressful events are social and psychological, respectively.

  2. Which factors might influence mental health according to the BPS model? (Select all that apply)
    a) Family support
    b) Traumatic brain injury
    c) Coping mechanisms
    d) Cultural beliefs
    Answer: a) Family support, b) Traumatic brain injury, c) Coping mechanisms, d) Cultural beliefs
    Explanation: All listed factors can impact mental health across biological, psychological, and social domains.

True/False

  1. The Bio-Psychosocial model is only applicable to physical health conditions.
    a) True
    b) False
    Answer: b) False
    Explanation: The BPS model applies to both physical and mental health conditions.

  2. Social factors in the BPS model include access to healthcare and community support.
    a) True
    b) False
    Answer: a) True
    Explanation: Social factors encompass environmental and societal influences like healthcare access.

Scenario-Based

  1. A patient with chronic pain reports high stress and lack of social support. According to the BPS model, what should the treatment plan include?
    a) Only pain medication
    b) Pain medication, therapy, and social support interventions
    c) Only psychological therapy
    d) Only social support interventions
    Answer: b) Pain medication, therapy, and social support interventions
    Explanation: The BPS model advocates for addressing biological, psychological, and social aspects.

  2. A teenager with anxiety has a family history of mental illness and lives in a high-crime neighborhood. Which BPS factors are relevant?
    a) Biological and social
    b) Psychological only
    c) Social only
    d) Biological only
    Answer: a) Biological and social
    Explanation: Family history (biological) and neighborhood environment (social) are relevant.

Fill-in-the-Blank (Conceptual)

  1. The Bio-Psychosocial model integrates ____, ____, and ____ factors to understand health.
    a) Biological, Psychological, Social
    b) Behavioral, Cognitive, Emotional
    c) Genetic, Environmental, Cultural
    d) Physical, Mental, Economic
    Answer: a) Biological, Psychological, Social
    Explanation: These are the three core domains of the BPS model.

Matching Type

  1. Match the factor to its BPS category:

  • A) Depression → 1) Biological

  • B) Poverty → 2) Psychological

  • C) Infection → 3) Social
    Options:
    a) A-2, B-3, C-1
    b) A-1, B-3, C-2
    c) A-3, B-1, C-2
    d) A-2, B-1, C-3
    Answer: a) A-2, B-3, C-1
    Explanation: Depression is psychological, poverty is social, and infection is biological.

Negative Question

  1. Which of the following is NOT a component of the Bio-Psychosocial model?
    a) Biological factors
    b) Psychological factors
    c) Technological factors
    d) Social factors
    Answer: c) Technological factors
    Explanation: The BPS model does not include technological factors.

Higher-Order Thinking

  1. Why is the Bio-Psychosocial model considered holistic?
    a) It focuses only on biological causes
    b) It integrates multiple dimensions of health
    c) It excludes social factors
    d) It prioritizes psychological factors
    Answer: b) It integrates multiple dimensions of health
    Explanation: The BPS model considers biological, psychological, and social factors together.

  2. How does the BPS model improve patient care compared to the biomedical model?
    a) It simplifies treatment to one factor
    b) It addresses only physical symptoms
    c) It considers the patient’s emotional and social context
    d) It ignores mental health
    Answer: c) It considers the patient’s emotional and social context
    Explanation: The BPS model promotes comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Application-Based

  1. A doctor using the BPS model to treat a patient with diabetes would likely:
    a) Prescribe insulin only
    b) Prescribe insulin, recommend stress management, and assess family support
    c) Focus only on diet changes
    d) Ignore lifestyle factors
    Answer: b) Prescribe insulin, recommend stress management, and assess family support
    Explanation: The BPS model addresses biological (insulin), psychological (stress), and social (family support) factors.

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