PSY4400 Child and Adolescent Disorders SU01 Biopsychosocial – Cultural Model Traditionally, mental illness was considered mainly a biological problem either inherited or developed due to genetic vulnerability within the individual. This point of view was

Biopsychosocial – Cultural Model

Traditionally, mental illness was considered mainly a biological problem either inherited or developed due to genetic vulnerability within the individual. This point of view was termed “the medical model.” Treatment was traditionally provided to the individual in one-to-one meetings with a psychiatrist and sessions with a psychotherapist. The field of mental health has evolved from that traditional model to one incorporating many more people, factors, causes, and types of treatment. The biopsychosocial–cultural model incorporates biological, psychological or developmental, family, social, and cultural factors to understand how mental illness develops and how to design effective treatments.

Pretend that you are the prison psychologist who completed the evaluation of Wes Moore who was convicted of murder (Moore, 2009).

Write a report of your findings to be filed in Moore’s chart and used by professionals who will be helping Moore. 

For the report, complete the following:

1. First, gather information about the following potential causes of Moore’s outcome from your required readings and other academic sources.
2. Using all of the gathered information, include the following in your report: Section I—Causes: Provide an explanation of how each of the following factors played a role in causing or affecting Moore’s troubled childhood and eventual imprisonment: 
   • Biological factors (genetic and physiological)
   • Developmental factors
   • Psychological factors (emotions and thoughts)
   • Family and social factors
   • Cultural factors (environmental and multicultural)
   • Section II—Prevention: Discuss how Moore’s troubled childhood and eventual imprisonment could have been prevented by early intervention, addressing how the intervention could have been designed to address each of the following: 
   • Psychological factors
   • Family and social factors
   • Cultural factors
   • Section III—Treatment: Recommend some ideas for treatment that Moore should have received in childhood or adolescence to address his negative behaviors, distressing emotions, and/or dysfunctional family dynamics and problematic environment based on all of the following: 
   • Biological factors
   • Psychological factors
   • Family and social factors

References:

Moore, W. (2009). The other Wes Moore: One name, two fates.
Moore, W. (2010). The other Wes Moore: One name, two fates. New York,
NY: Spiegel & Grau.