Health Beliefs Seminar Notes

Health Beliefs Seminar

Overview

  • Speaker: Andy Atkin, Associate Professor in Behavioural Epidemiology

  • Date: 02/02/2026

Aims of the Seminar

  • Review learning and consolidate understanding relating to learning outcomes for the sociology of health beliefs:

    • Identify and review key features of medical and biopsychosocial models of health.

    • Describe a range of sociological critiques of the medical approach.

    • Outline how beliefs about one’s own health and patterns of illness behaviour can be understood from a sociological perspective.

    • Describe Talcott Parsons’ approach to the ‘sick role’.

    • Identify the influence of culture on individual conceptions of health and healthcare.

Key Features of Medical and Biopsychosocial Models of Health

  • Breakout Task: In small groups, write a short paragraph summarizing the key features of the medical and biopsychosocial models of health. Participants will share this with the wider group.

Sociological Critiques of the Biomedical Approach

  • Consider the following terms, giving examples of each:

    • Medicalisation:

    • Definition: The process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical problems that often require medical treatment.

    • Example: An example would be the classification of normal human experiences, such as aging or anxiety, as medical issues needing intervention.

    • Iatrogenesis:

    • Definition: The causation of a disease, a harmful complication, or other ill effect by any medical activity including diagnosis, intervention, error, or negligence.

    • Example: A patient may suffer side effects from medication prescribed for a non-life-threatening condition, leading to additional health complications.

    • Social Determinants of Health:

    • Definition: The non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, including the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, as well as the wider set of forces and systems shaping these conditions.

    • Example: Access to education, economic stability, social and community context, healthcare access, and neighborhood environments all play a role in health outcomes.

Understanding Beliefs About Health and Illness Behaviour

  • Breakout Group Discussion: Using the questionnaire completed as part of directed learning, participants will:

    • Discuss the differences in health behaviours and beliefs between themselves, reflecting on personal experiences and societal influences.

Talcott Parsons' Sick Role

  • Concept Overview:

    • Developed by Talcott Parsons, the sick role comprises four major components:

    1. Exemption from social responsibilities:

      • Authorized by a proper authority such as a doctor.

    2. Exemption from blame for the illness:

      • The sick person is not held responsible for their health status.

    3. Responsibility to get better:

      • Illness is socially undesirable; therefore, the sick person is expected to seek treatment and recover.

    4. Expectation to seek and adhere to medical help:

      • The sick individual is expected to pursue proper medical advice and follow prescriptions.

  • Critique: Parsons' criteria are often criticized as being too rigid and narrow in application. However, his analyses significantly contributed to discussions about the social management of illness, particularly in the context of health professionals' roles.

  • Contemporary Relevance: Variations of Parsons’s themes continue to influence much of the contemporary sociology of medicine and the study of health and illness.

Critiques of Parsons’ Sick Role

  • Whole Group Discussion: Discuss critiques of Parsons’ Sick Role, focusing on reasons why it may not be practical or relevant in Western society today, considering evolving healthcare dynamics and societal expectations.

Cultural Influence on Health and Healthcare Conceptions

  • Breakout Group Discussion: Participants will consider:

    • Why understanding cultural beliefs about health is important for working with patients as Allied Health Professionals (AHP).

    • Identify ways in which personal culture influences beliefs about health and healthcare, contrasting with non-Western approaches to medicine.

    • Sources of health information for themselves, their family, and their patients.

Conclusion

  • Any Questions?