403. What is the difference between the medical model and the psychological model used to explain psychological problems?

Medical model - All psychological problems/disorders have a physical symptom profile, therefore the condition is a physical (medical) problem. For example, blood chemistry changes in depression, physical arousal in anxiety disorders, dependency in substance abuse.  If there are physical symptoms, the medical model says that you should receive treatment from a medical physician. Often, medication alone can be used to treat psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. 

Psychological model - The separation between physical and psychological problems is artificial, because these two components are present in almost all human experiences.  Psychological problems can be caused by environmental, physical or psychological factors.  All human conditions have physical components, and all medical/health conditions have emotional or psychological components.  For example, stress and depression play a role in recovery from surgery, psychotherapy improves cancer recovery, and people with a chronic medical condition will experience psychological distress because of the impact the illness has on their life.  So, do we give them a pill to eliminate the depression and anxiety, or send them for counseling? 

In reality, giving someone a pill does not get rid of the psychological problem, it only masks the symptoms.  The cause of the emotional response is psychological, and treatment of the cause should be psychological treatment. That is, "I am worried about my health, and I become anxious about doctors' appointments." Taking a pill helps me feel better physically, but I am still worried about my health. If I talked to a psychologist about my concerns, I  would probably feel better, and worry less, and I would not need to take a pill to feel better! 

Rather than eliminating psychological treatment for problems like depression and anxiety, and relying only on medications, we should be providing psychological treatment as a first option for psychological problems, and relying on medication only when necessary.  Further, we should also be providing psychological treatment to people with serious medical conditions, along with their medical treatment. Research has consistently showed a positive effect on recovery from physical illness, when psychological counseling is provided to people with serious medical illnesses, in addition to traditional medical treatment.