The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 195: 3-4. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.063859
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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EDITORIALS

The rise and fall of the biopsychosocial model

S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH

Tufts Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Box 1007, 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Email: nghaemi{at}tuftsmedicalcenter.org

Declaration of interest

In the past 12 months, D.G. has received a research grant from Pfizer and honoraria from Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca. Neither he nor his family hold equity positions in pharmaceutical corporations.

S. Nassir Ghaemi (pictured), Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University, is author of The Concepts of Psychiatry and the forthcoming book The Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model.

The biopsychosocial model is the conceptual status quo of contemporary psychiatry. Although it has played an important role in combatting psychiatric dogmatism, it has devolved into mere eclecticism. Other non-reductionistic approaches to medicine and psychiatry such as William Osler’s medical humanism or Karl Jaspers’ method-based psychiatry should be reconsidered.


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eLetters:

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BJP Online, 29 Jul 2009 [Full text]
Biopsychosocial model is there room for improvement?
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Response
Nassir Ghaemi
BJP Online, 18 Aug 2009 [Full text]
Medical model is not as bad; Biopsychosocial model not as good, bid adieu!
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BJP Online, 18 Aug 2009 [Full text]