Public Health and Ethics Flashcards
(36 cards)
define health, according to WHO
complete physical, mental and social wellbeing
not just the absence of disease
positive concept emphasising social and personal resources as well as physical abilities
compare the biomedical and social model of disease?
biomedical
- physical and biological factors of disease - can be repaired
- only health professionals practice it
- focus on diagnosis, cure and treatment of disease - solution found in technologies
- mind/ body dualism (suggests they ca be treated separately)
- knowledge is objective - neutral and distinct from social factors
social
- gives thought to a wide range of factors
- wide range of people can practice
- focus on prevention
- challenges mind/ body dualism
- knowledge is not objective - we are taught how to see the body
name three theories of health
health as an ideal state
health as a state of social functioning
health as a personal strength or ability
describe the theory of ‘health as an ideal state’
goal of perfect wellbeing (WHO definition)
disease, illness, forms of handicap and social problems must be absent in order for health to be present
problems with the theory of ‘health as an ideal state’
is anyone ever healthy?
what is complete wellbeing?
can we ever attain this ideal state?
misleading?
describe the theory of ‘health as a state of social functioning’
health is a means towards social functioning
can still be healthy (function socially) even when suffering with a chronic illness/ disease
problems with the theory of ‘health as a state of social functioning’
very narrow definition seeing health as the opposite of disease
patients normal state may be unhealthy
refusal of treatment might be seen as healthy
describe the theory of ‘health as a personal strength or ability’
focus on how people respond to challenges
humanist
responding positively to challenges
problems with the theory of ‘health as a personal strength or ability’
vague
how can we intervene?
define illness
the social, lived experience of symptoms and suffering
define disease
technical malfunction or deviation from the norm which is scientifically diagnosed
describe the Culver and Gert theory of disease and illness
aggregate of condition, judged by a culture, deemed painful or disabling, and which deviate from statistical norm or some idealised status
give a limitation of the Culver and Gert theory of disease and illness
state of the organism, which is currently losing a battle with temperature, water, micro-organisms, disappointment etc
disruption of homeostasis
visualised as the reaction to an energy impact (addition or deprivation)
describe the Peery and Miller theory of disease and illness
disturbance of the structure or function of the body
imbalance between the individual and his environment
describe the biomedical model of disease and illness
more disease = poorer health
problems can be resolved by remedies, therefore health is something that exists outside of the person
which model of disease and illness was used to inspire governments to invest in health services?
biomedical
problems with the biomedical model of disease?
not all problems can be solved with a remedy
suggests solution is with the medical practitioner not the individual
risk of mysicism - regain something we’ve lost as a result of personal or social failing
what is the sick role?
illness is harmful to social functioning, thus it allows a legitimate deviance from social obligation
only a doctor can determine if someone can enter the sick role
components of the sick role
- individual is except from normal social roles
- individual is not responsible for their condition
- individual should try and get well
- individual should seek help and cooperate with medical professionals
criticisms of the sick role
- failure to account for conflict
- cannot account for social change - patients are not as passive and more active in their care; patient-doctor relationship is not as symmetrical
- people with chronic conditions remain in a deviant state
what is sociology?
study of social relations and social processes
social relations - bonds between people and groups of people
social processes - direct human actions result from collective human actions
what is functionalism?
suggests that health is the state of optimum capacity of an individual for being effective at the tasks required by then for society
illness could be a state of social deviance - failure to conform to norms
what is the social paradox?
diseases can be caused by social factors e.g lifestyle but treated with biological interventions
what is the medicalisation hypothesis?
professionals see problems in terms of their own profession, thus doctors see everything medically
problems that seem medical could be products of social forces
