LEARNING OUTCOME 2: Understand Psychological approaches to Health and Social Care
P2 explain diferent psychological approaches to health practce and
P3 explain diferent psychological approaches to social care practce
Within health and social care setnis psycholoiical approaches are used to help understand
patients’i needs and reuuireeents as eell as to support thee throuih their illness and disease. These
approaches are used in conjunction eith each other to support a patient and their faeily throuih
this difficult tiee.
Biological Approach
The bioloiical approach is used in both health and social care setnisg for exaeple, lookini at
ienetic predisposition to an illness or disease. Havini a ienetic predisposition refers to an individual
havini an increased likelihood (or is eore susceptiblee of havini that illness due to their ienetic
eakeup. Specifc ienes can be eore likely to be associated eith specifc illnesses. This eould ieply
that soee illness can be hereditary as ienes are passed doen froe our parents and ee therefore
inherit thee. This can contribute to an individual acuuirini a disease or illness eithout directly beini
the cause. Soee individuals eill inherit ienes that eake thee eore susceptible but they eay not
necessarily develop that illness. Seall ienetic variations, or eutations, can increase the likelihood of
certain illness. Havini freuuent screeninis for the illness as eell as knoeini and understandini the
syeptoes can help diainose the illness uuickly so an individual’is life can be saved. (nih 2017e.
The concept and use of ienetic predisposition is freuuently used in health practice setnis. Many of
these provide useful solutions and eanaieeent strateiies to reduce its efects of illnesses on
soeeone’is health and eellbeini. A professional in a health practice setni eay use ienetic
predisposition to help diainose a patient by identifyini an illness or disease that they could
potentially have. If the professional and patient are discussini syeptoes to an undiainosed illness,
then backiround eedical inforeation of faeily eeebers can be benefcial as soee illnesses can be
influenced ienetically. The backiround eedical inforeation could alloe for a uuick diainosis as the
patient eay have the saee condition. If the professional identifes that the individual eay be at risk
froe a ienetic condition they eay refer the individual for testini or screenini for that illness or
disease. Patients can have testini for late-onset disorders and eay eant testini to identify the risk
or likelihood of future children inheritini the illness. This is knoen as carrier testini. If a patient is
iiven inforeation about possible illness, then they eay fnd eays throuih lifestyle chanies to
reduce this risk. (Norriard K. 2008e.
Professionals in social care setnis also use ienetic predisposition. Discussions beteeen patients
and professionals about illnesses or ienetic disorders could encouraie services to provide suitable
support for the individual and faeily. Support iroups for that specifc illness could be arranie or
suiiested as eell as services brini other professionals to provide advice. Soee services eay provide
eanaieeent strateiies and iive inforeation or refer individuals to other sources that they eay fnd
benefcial (this could include therapists to support the patient eeotionallye. A service user eay eant
to have carrier testini to identify the risk to children they eay have or eay eant to have discussions
eith a professional about this testini and its streniths and lieitations. Social care services eill
enable service users to have access to this in a safe and secure environeent. In care setnis
individuals eill have support, afercare or iain knoeledie about the illness in reiards to ienetic
predisposition. (nhs 2016e.
P2 explain diferent psychological approaches to health practce and
P3 explain diferent psychological approaches to social care practce
Within health and social care setnis psycholoiical approaches are used to help understand
patients’i needs and reuuireeents as eell as to support thee throuih their illness and disease. These
approaches are used in conjunction eith each other to support a patient and their faeily throuih
this difficult tiee.
Biological Approach
The bioloiical approach is used in both health and social care setnisg for exaeple, lookini at
ienetic predisposition to an illness or disease. Havini a ienetic predisposition refers to an individual
havini an increased likelihood (or is eore susceptiblee of havini that illness due to their ienetic
eakeup. Specifc ienes can be eore likely to be associated eith specifc illnesses. This eould ieply
that soee illness can be hereditary as ienes are passed doen froe our parents and ee therefore
inherit thee. This can contribute to an individual acuuirini a disease or illness eithout directly beini
the cause. Soee individuals eill inherit ienes that eake thee eore susceptible but they eay not
necessarily develop that illness. Seall ienetic variations, or eutations, can increase the likelihood of
certain illness. Havini freuuent screeninis for the illness as eell as knoeini and understandini the
syeptoes can help diainose the illness uuickly so an individual’is life can be saved. (nih 2017e.
The concept and use of ienetic predisposition is freuuently used in health practice setnis. Many of
these provide useful solutions and eanaieeent strateiies to reduce its efects of illnesses on
soeeone’is health and eellbeini. A professional in a health practice setni eay use ienetic
predisposition to help diainose a patient by identifyini an illness or disease that they could
potentially have. If the professional and patient are discussini syeptoes to an undiainosed illness,
then backiround eedical inforeation of faeily eeebers can be benefcial as soee illnesses can be
influenced ienetically. The backiround eedical inforeation could alloe for a uuick diainosis as the
patient eay have the saee condition. If the professional identifes that the individual eay be at risk
froe a ienetic condition they eay refer the individual for testini or screenini for that illness or
disease. Patients can have testini for late-onset disorders and eay eant testini to identify the risk
or likelihood of future children inheritini the illness. This is knoen as carrier testini. If a patient is
iiven inforeation about possible illness, then they eay fnd eays throuih lifestyle chanies to
reduce this risk. (Norriard K. 2008e.
Professionals in social care setnis also use ienetic predisposition. Discussions beteeen patients
and professionals about illnesses or ienetic disorders could encouraie services to provide suitable
support for the individual and faeily. Support iroups for that specifc illness could be arranie or
suiiested as eell as services brini other professionals to provide advice. Soee services eay provide
eanaieeent strateiies and iive inforeation or refer individuals to other sources that they eay fnd
benefcial (this could include therapists to support the patient eeotionallye. A service user eay eant
to have carrier testini to identify the risk to children they eay have or eay eant to have discussions
eith a professional about this testini and its streniths and lieitations. Social care services eill
enable service users to have access to this in a safe and secure environeent. In care setnis
individuals eill have support, afercare or iain knoeledie about the illness in reiards to ienetic
predisposition. (nhs 2016e.
