About the book
2010 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine
This is the first book-length historical critique of psychiatry’s mainstream ideology, the biopsychosocial (BPS) model.
Developed in the twentieth century as an outgrowth of psychosomatic medicine, the biopsychosocial model is seen as an antidote to the constraints of the medical model of psychiatry. Nassir Ghaemi details the origins and evolution of the BPS model and explains how, where, and why it fails to live up to its promises. He analyzes the works of its founders, George Engel and Roy Grinker Sr., traces its rise in acceptance, and discusses its relation to the thought of William Osler and Karl Jaspers.
In assessing the biopsychosocial model, Ghaemi provides a philosophically grounded evaluation of the concept of mental illness and the relation between evidence-based medicine and psychiatry. He argues that psychiatry's conceptual core is eclecticism, which in the face of too much freedom paradoxically leads many of its adherents to enact their own dogmas. Throughout, he makes the case for a new paradigm of medical humanism and method-based psychiatry that is consistent with modern science while incorporating humanistic aspects of the art of medicine.
Ghaemi shows how the historical role of the BPS model as a reaction to biomedical reductionism is coming to an end and urges colleagues in the field to embrace other, less-eclectic perspectives.
Editions of Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780801893902
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781421407753
- EBook
- ISBN 9781421402925
Read an Excerpt
2010 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine
This is the first book-length historical critique of psychiatry’s mainstream ideology, the biopsychosocial (BPS) model.
Developed in the twentieth century as an outgrowth of psychosomatic medicine, the biopsychosocial model is seen as an antidote to the constraints of the medical model of psychiatry. Nassir Ghaemi details the origins and evolution of the BPS model and explains how, where, and why it fails to live up to its promises. He analyzes the works of its founders, George Engel and Roy Grinker Sr., traces its rise in acceptance, and discusses its relation to the thought of William Osler and Karl Jaspers.
In assessing the biopsychosocial model, Ghaemi provides a philosophically grounded evaluation of the concept of mental illness and the relation between evidence-based medicine and psychiatry. He argues that psychiatry's conceptual core is eclecticism, which in the face of too much freedom paradoxically leads many of its adherents to enact their own dogmas. Throughout, he makes the case for a new paradigm of medical humanism and method-based psychiatry that is consistent with modern science while incorporating humanistic aspects of the art of medicine.
Ghaemi shows how the historical role of the BPS model as a reaction to biomedical reductionism is coming to an end and urges colleagues in the field to embrace other, less-eclectic perspectives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model about?
2010 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine
This is the first book-length historical critique of psychiatry’s mainstream ideology, the biopsychosocial (BPS) model.
Developed in the twentieth century as an outgrowth of psychosomatic medicine, the biopsychosocial model is seen as an antidote to the constraints of the medical model of psychiatry. Nassir Ghaemi details the origins and evolution of the BPS model and explains how, where, and why it fails to live up to its promises. He analyzes the works of its founders, George Engel and Roy Grinker Sr., traces its rise in acceptance, and discusses its relation to the thought of William Osler and Karl Jaspers.
In assessing the biopsychosocial model, Ghaemi provides a philosophically grounded evaluation of the concept of mental illness and the relation between evidence-based medicine and psychiatry. He argues that psychiatry's conceptual core is eclecticism, which in the face of too much freedom paradoxically leads many of its adherents to enact their own dogmas. Throughout, he makes the case for a new paradigm of medical humanism and method-based psychiatry that is consistent with modern science while incorporating humanistic aspects of the art of medicine.
Ghaemi shows how the historical role of the BPS model as a reaction to biomedical reductionism is coming to an end and urges colleagues in the field to embrace other, less-eclectic perspectives.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model?
Society and Social Sciences > Psychology > Physiological psychology, neuropsychology, biopsychology
Where can I read a sample of Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780801893902
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model?
S. Nassir Ghaemi
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780801893902) and paperback(ISBN 9781421407753) and ebook(ISBN 9781421402925)
Where can I buy Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model?