The Usefulness of a Holistic Model for Mental Health

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In order to explain the experience of mental health, its complexity needs to be both understood and appreciated. There are diverse perspectives in mental health that are used for assessment, diagnosis and treatment. This essay will use the K272 Holistic Model to illustrate a framework that can help explain the experience of mental health. Alongside this model are the experiences of Hilary, a case study used within the course materials whose physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual/personal meaning dimensions reveal the factors that may have contributed to her mental distress (The Open University, 2010, p.31-51). The effectiveness of the medical model providing an explanation will be considered and differing frameworks of understanding will be discussed. This essay will consider the opinion of different user groups regarding the usefulness of a holistic model and whether those within a particular group have the same view.
A holistic approach views the person as a whole. Seedhouse (2000) suggests that we can only understand separate parts when we look at the whole, even when we understand each part individually. Hilary is placed at the centre of the K272 Holistic Model and surrounded by the five dimensions of life. An outer area represents further connections and relationships that influence and are influenced by Hilary, this will reveal a wider view of her world (The Open University 2010, p23). Information is gathered and added to the appropriate dimension to create a framework that can be used as a map to discover what has contributed to Hilary’s mental distress. The model has clearly shown there are factors in each dimension and these factors also impact and are impacted by other dimensions. Influences in Hilar...

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...anation for the experience of mental health regarding the area of focus, they do not consider other factors. The relationship between mind and body was considered, there are three differing frameworks of understanding. Dualism believes the mind and body are separate, materialism believes there is no distinction and interactionism believes they interact with each other. The opinions of different user groups regarding their view of a holistic model revealed there are also differing opinions between each group and also within the groups. This essay has shown that the experience of mental health is complex and explanation can be ambiguous. The diverse perspectives and differing opinions held within the field of mental health makes answering the question ‘how might a holistic model explain the experience of mental health?’ depend on the perspective of whoever answers.

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