Biopsychosocial model
also known as BPS model
Medically reviewed by the Shrinkopedia editorial team, led by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA.
1 min read · 173 words
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The biopsychosocial model is a framework for understanding illness as the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors, rather than as a purely biological event. It was articulated by George Engel in 1977 as a corrective to the purely biomedical model of medicine. It remains the standard integrative framework in psychiatry, though it has been criticized for being more a stance than a testable theory.
Where this framework appears in Shrinkopedia
Nearly every condition entry follows a biopsychosocial approach implicitly: mechanism at the biological layer, symptoms and cognition at the psychological layer, cultural and structural context at the social layer. Examples where the framework is most visible:
- The PTSD entry integrates trauma exposure (social), memory and appraisal (psychological), and HPA axis / amygdala changes (biological).
- The depression entry covers genetics + inflammation + monoamine changes + cognitive vulnerability + life-stressor triggers.
For the plain-language definition of the framework itself, see biopsychosocial model on Shrinktionary, the network's canonical language layer.
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How to cite this page
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Biopsychosocial model. Shrinkopedia, medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinkopedia.com/terms/biopsychosocial/- APA
Shrinkopedia. (2026, July 11). Biopsychosocial model. Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinkopedia.com/terms/biopsychosocial/- MLA
"Biopsychosocial model." Shrinkopedia, 11 July 2026, https://shrinkopedia.com/terms/biopsychosocial/.
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