The Biopsychosocial Model Of Alzheimer's Disease

More than 30 million people are affected worldwide, Alzheimer's is the number one cause of dementia. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that destroys memory and essential mental functions. The brain cells and the actual cells deteriorate and die; the main symptoms are confusion and loss of mind. Dementia follows Alzheimer's; you can’t have one without the other. Dementia, on the other hand, it is not its own disease, it is a group of thinking and social symptoms that hinder everyday tasks. Over 100 years ago a German physician by the name Alois Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease is a common problem in today’s society and within the older population this disease makes up the largest form of dementia. Although it is a problem in mainly older people, this disease can still occur in the younger population also. People in their 30s-50s can be diagnosed with this disease, even though it is not as common as people in their 60s-90s. The number of people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. is close to five million and is expected to double within the next 30 years. With our modern medicine and advancements one would think a cure would be available, however, getting to the cause of the disease is a major factor. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is one that is very debatable and questionable and most likely is a result of multiple factors rather than one. The main issue with finding the cause is because this disease affects the brain and can

Biopsychosocial model this describes that we all take things differently when experiencing mental health. When someone has experienced physical illness they can also experience mental health issues

Biopsyhosocial can be defined as, “of, relating to, or involving the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors...” (English Oxford Living Dictionaries, 2017). Biological factors are the inherited characteristics from our parents, and their genetic materials and processes, as well as aspects of a person’s psychological functioning (Caltabiano, Sarafino, & Byrne, 2008). Examples of biological factors include inherited illnesses, genetic make-up, and health and wellness practices learnt from childhood. Caltabiano, Sarafino, and Byrne (2008) explain that psychological factors are both behavioural and mental process, which involve cognition, emotion, and motivation. These psychological factors could include and impact attention, memory, reasoning, personal growth, and emotional well being. Lastly, social factors are the affects we have on others and they have on us, as well as how our society and community as a whole impacts individuals by promoting certain

A bio-psychosocial describes an approach systematically considers biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery. Biological factors include defective biological processes compounds that lead to biological dysfunction and illness. Psychological factors are about the individual’s emotions, behavior, and mental processes. Social factors include social status and relations. These factors are all considered in an attempt to understand the underlying factors of such disease.

Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and is common in adults older than 65. More than five million Americans are being affected by Alzheimer’s at this moment. Alzheimer’s comes in three stages; early, middle, and advanced. The disease is caused by the shrinking of the brain due to many risk factors and genetics.

The Biopsychosocial (BPS) model greatly differs because while the biomedical answers the main question “why do people get sick?” the BPS also answers the question “why else do people get sick?” [9] According to the BPS model, the human being is complex and must be understood as a whole. That there is a relationship between body, mind and environment and that one aspect affects the others. Health and illness are caused by multiple factors and have multiple effects, from the biological or cellular level

The approach attributes complex events or phenomena to many causes. All these three components affect how a person develops. The biopsychosocial model is used in many fields because of how it examines how different factors affect an individual. Biological factors are usually due to genetics which are ingrained aspects of an individual such as hair color and skin tone. Biological factors also include other aspects such as brain changes and functioning of major body organs like kidney, liver or one’s motor skills. Psychological factors include aspects such as emotions, behaviors, thoughts, coping skills and temperament. The social component of biopsychosocial theory looks at social factors such as one’s culture, interactions with others, and one’s economic status (Newman & Newman, 2014). The theory is used in examining mental health disorders, social disorders and the general development of an

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most devastating degenerative diseases affecting the American population. It is one form of dementia. Dementia is a group of conditions characterized by impairment of at least two brain functions, such as memory loss and judgment. Symptoms include forgetfulness, limited social skills, and thinking abilities so impaired that it interferes with daily functioning. Alzheimer has very few treatment options even though it is increasing globally. Recently environmental exposures have been studied as a catalyst for the onset of the disease. This paper will review how genetic, biological, medication and sociological factors can increase the risk of Alzheimer onset.

What is Alzheimer’s disease and how is it affecting lives in the world today? The Alzheimer’s Association state that every 67 seconds someone is diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2). The Alzheimer’s disease occurs in middle to older ages, and is a general deterioration of the brain. Symptoms of the Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss within the daily lifestyle, hard time completing tasks and problems, misunderstanding time and/or place, clarity problems with relationships or visual images, personality and mood deviations, and removing oneself from social and work activities that are in their normal lifestyle. The Alzheimer’s disease does get worse and progress overtime, and is one of the leading diseases for the cause of death. Bright Focus Foundation

In order to understand the key social determinants of Dementia and to develop an effective prevention strategy it is crucial to understand some of the biology and epidemiology of the disease. Dementia is a brain disorder in which person starts to lose control of his/her cognition and starts to forget a lot. Around 7.5 out of 1000 people are affected with dementia around the world (Ref). Dementia is a typically more prevalent in seniors that are 65 years or older. There are many reasons for that main one being the other chronic disease that start to affect their body. Dementia is seen to affect more of the developing countries as 60% of all the dementia cases are in the developing countries. (Ref) So even though dementia has a biological reasoning it occurs its prevention lies within its social determinants that make this disease so prevalent.

The biopsychosocial model and the biomedical model are long-standing theories that describe how an individual's mental state affects their physical health. The biomedical model has been used in Western medicine for a longer time compared to the biopsychosocial model. However, the biomedical model health in a fashion that separates physical health and mental health. This model says that the two do not interact with each other in any way that will affect illnesses. The biopsychosocial model connects physical and mental health saying that they do have an effect on each other. Poor physical health can lead to poor mental health, and vice versa. This paper will describe what each of the models are, how they are used in today's medicine field, as well as compare and contrast the models to each other.

Brain health is included and it is not uncommon for people to overlook the importance of feeding and exercising the brain properly, just as every other part of the body. There has been a sufficient amount of data to support techniques that will help in reducing the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s in particular. Among these are increasing physical activity, receiving treatment for depression, quit smoking, control type two diabetes, have a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, fostering social engagement, control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and participate in intellectually stimulating activities. The research currently documented does not necessarily state that these measures prevent Alzheimer’s directly, but rather enhance the overall health of people, which in return aids in preserving brain health as well. Research is continuously being conducted on Alzheimer’s and other related disorders of dementia, but for now the most widely accepted methods of prevention are becoming and staying healthy. Proper nutrition begins at an early age. It is easy for people to disregard the importance of their health when they are young since their choices are not typically directly affecting them. This is what needs to change. People need to be properly educated on the effects that their current life choices have on them in the future. The foods people eat, drugs people take, and overall lifestyle that people live will affect their overall

In 1901, a fifty one year old woman named Frau Auguste D. was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Frankfurt, Germany. She had an unusual bunch of symptoms. While she had no history of prior psychiatric illness, her husband had noticed that Frau D. was becoming increasing paranoid, hallucinatory, agitated, disoriented, and having increasing difficulties with language functions and memory.

Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.