Which model treats mental health issues primarily as diseases that impair functioning?

Which model treats mental health issues primarily as diseases that impair functioning?

• A. Public health model
• B. Client strengths
• C. Medical model
• D. Whole person

Answer: (C)

This item tests how mental health issues are framed in different models, and which one treats them as diseases that impair functioning. The medical model views mental health conditions as illnesses with biological or physiological bases. It focuses on diagnosing based on symptoms, understanding their etiology, and assessing how the condition interferes with a person’s everyday functioning. Treatments are typically medical or evidence-based therapies designed to reduce symptoms and restore functioning, aligning with the idea of diseases that impair the ability to function. In contrast, a public health model emphasizes mental health at the population level—prevention, determinants like environment and social conditions, and wide-reaching interventions. The whole person approach looks at the full spectrum of a person’s life—physical, emotional, social, and spiritual—without reducing it to a disease label. The client strengths model centers on resilience, capabilities, and empowerment, focusing on leveraging resources and recovery rather than diagnosing illness. So the medical model is the best fit for describing mental health issues as diseases that impair functioning.

This item tests how mental health issues are framed in different models, and which one treats them as diseases that impair functioning. The medical model views mental health conditions as illnesses with biological or physiological bases. It focuses on diagnosing based on symptoms, understanding their etiology, and assessing how the condition interferes with a person’s everyday functioning. Treatments are typically medical or evidence-based therapies designed to reduce symptoms and restore functioning, aligning with the idea of diseases that impair the ability to function.

In contrast, a public health model emphasizes mental health at the population level—prevention, determinants like environment and social conditions, and wide-reaching interventions. The whole person approach looks at the full spectrum of a person’s life—physical, emotional, social, and spiritual—without reducing it to a disease label. The client strengths model centers on resilience, capabilities, and empowerment, focusing on leveraging resources and recovery rather than diagnosing illness. So the medical model is the best fit for describing mental health issues as diseases that impair functioning.