A biopsychosocial assessment is a method that is utilized by therapists to evaluate the biological (“bio”), psychological (“psycho”), and social elements that affect a person’s cognitions (thoughts), emotions (feelings), and behaviors (actions). This can be an important part of the early stages of planning an individual’s recovery. Biopsychosocial planning explores elements like the individual’s background, education, family life, and culture. The biopsychosocial approach plays an important role in aiding in initial recovery and relapse prevention.
This is a holistic treatment method that helps to better understand an individual’s needs as they prepare to enter recovery. Methods like this help to ensure that the root cause of a person’s addiction or mental health disorder is identified and addressed. As a result, full healing can take place instead of just focusing on addressing symptoms rather than the cause itself. This can also be an effective way of determining the specific aspects of life that have been affected by the addiction.
At Wisconsin Wellness in Appleton, Wisconsin, we value tailoring care plans to specifically meet the needs of each individual who enters our facility. We also believe in viewing the individual first and the addiction or mental health disorder they’re struggling with second. There is much more to a person than their disorder and we utilize treatment that is suited accordingly. Those who enter our facility will be well equipped not only for the next stage of their recovery but for life as a whole as they move forward.
What Is Biopsychosocial Planning?
The concept of biopsychosocial planning is based on the belief that humans are complex beings. It is based on the biopsychosocial model, which is a way for an individual and their caregiver to better understand both the internal and external factors that may be affecting them. This involves understanding how things like suffering, illness, and disease are all connected on different levels. At the same time, things like an accurate diagnosis, proper care, and health results are also all connected.
The basics of biopsychosocial planning involve considering what specific biological, psychological, and social factors a person may be struggling with. From there, it is then possible to identify how these aspects are affecting the individual’s health and overall quality of life. The next step is to determine possible solutions and ways that these solutions can be incorporated into the individual’s treatment plan moving forward.
Why Is the Biopsychosocial Planning Approach Important?
The biopsychosocial planning approach is paramount in supporting initial recovery. The starting point of recovery is a very critical time because it helps to provide the foundation upon which long-term healing will be built. If that foundation isn’t as strong as it needs to be, or if it fails to include all critical aspects of an individual’s life, it could lead to problems later on. Using the biopsychosocial approach helps to ensure that all dimensions of the individual’s life are considered.
What Are the Components of a Biopsychosocial Planning Assessment?
The components of a biopsychosocial planning assessment include biological, psychological, and social assessments. It’s important to consider each of these aspects when preparing for the initial stages of recovery.
Biological Planning Assessment
From a biological standpoint, the initial stages of recovery are often associated with certain physical symptoms. For example, if someone is just beginning their recovery from substance abuse, they are likely to experience some form of withdrawal. These withdrawal side effects will vary from person to person. They will also be influenced by what type of substance or substances the person is beginning recovery from.
Another physical or biological component to be considered within the early stages of addiction recovery is the most critical next step. For someone who might be struggling with an alcohol addiction or another substance use disorder (SUD), the next step is likely detoxification.
In the case of someone entering recovery from a mental health perspective, the next critical step could be medication management. Medication may be necessary to help stabilize the individual before they can move on with other types of healing.
Finally, in the case of someone receiving treatment for chronic pain, the next step is likely to be immediate pain management. This is likely through the administration of medication.
Psychological Planning Assessment
From a psychological assessment, the initial stage of recovery from addiction is often associated with some stress and anxiety. Because the individual might not know what to expect, this can add to feelings of fear and overwhelm. They may also likely be dealing with feelings of urges or cravings to turn back to substance use. These things can be addressed through counseling and by providing the individual with information about what to expect next in the recovery process.
For those who may be struggling with severe anxiety or depressive disorders, they may also require more immediate assistance. This could come in the form of stress management or emotional regulation techniques. For these individuals, this assistance likely needs to come before any further progress or healing can take place.
Social Planning Assessment
The social aspect must also not be overlooked when it comes to those in recovery from either substance abuse or a mental health disorder. Many people may have experienced strained or broken relationships as a result of their disorder. This could have come in the form of broken trust or people distancing themselves from the individual due to past actions. In recovery, this can be an obstacle because support is crucial in preventing relapse.
Thus, if a provider recognizes that the individual is lacking good support, this is an obstacle that will need to be addressed as soon as possible. This could involve looking into community resources to help build their support system. It may involve identifying ways to work on repairing strained relationships the individual already has.
Part of this aspect is also identifying the specific factors that lead to this social dilemma. For example, what specifically led to the person experiencing strained relationships? This could be failing to keep up with personal or professional obligations, unemployment, or poor communication. These specific elements must be addressed to get to the root cause of the obstacle.
What Makes a Successful Biopsychosocial Model?
Collaboration is one of the many aspects of a successful biopsychosocial model. This includes collaboration between different healthcare professionals, such as doctors, counselors, and addiction specialists. Collaboration helps to ensure the most complete view of the individual’s condition. This also helps to ensure that all aspects of the individual’s well-being have been addressed so that treatment is as complete and effective as possible.
An individualized treatment plan is another important aspect of a successful biopsychosocial model. A one-size-fits-all approach is never the right call when it comes to treating addiction or a mental health disorder. Rather, the treatment plans should be personalized to fit the individual’s unique situation. This includes their family dynamics, mental health history, and personal background.
When applying the biopsychosocial model, it is important, from an ethical standpoint, to also consider the individual’s autonomy. In other words, everyone deserves to have a say in decisions made concerning his or her treatment. They should always be kept in the loop when it comes to their care. In addition, the healthcare provider should respect the individual’s values and personal beliefs.
Is a Biopsychosocial Assessment Necessary?
In many cases, a biopsychosocial assessment is necessary because it provides a more comprehensive understanding of the individual’s situation. Making treatment decisions without having done this kind of assessment could lead to important information being left out. A biopsychosocial assessment helps a practitioner to better understand underlying causes that could be contributing to the individual’s condition. Thus, it can also help them to make better treatment decisions so that the individual can ultimately experience better outcomes.
What Are the Benefits of Biopsychosocial Planning?
There are many benefits associated with biopsychosocial planning. The following are some key factors that many practitioners point to when it comes to their decision to incorporate this method in an individual’s treatment.
Relapse Prevention
The most important objective that any practitioner has when guiding an individual through treatment is relapse prevention. Whether the individual is in recovery from addiction or a mental health disorder, the goal is to ensure they don’t return to old behavior patterns. Relapse prevention is one of the most critical benefits associated with biopsychosocial planning. This is because it helps the practitioner to address the most important obstacles a person is facing right away.
For example, unaddressed withdrawal symptoms can quickly cause someone in recovery from addiction to consider turning back to substance use. However, through the biological aspect of biopsychosocial planning, withdrawal symptoms would be managed early on to prevent this from happening.
It is also important to consider those who may be struggling with a dual diagnosis. For example, this could be someone struggling with an anxiety disorder and an alcohol addiction simultaneously. Negative thought patterns brought about by their anxiety disorder could quickly cause the individual to turn back to alcohol to cope. However, due to the psychological aspect of biopsychosocial planning, those negative thought patterns can be addressed early on through counseling.
Holistic Care
The holistic care and understanding of the individual is another important benefit of biopsychosocial planning. This refers to the comprehensive, full-spectrum approach of looking at the individual and all the factors that could play a role in their recovery. An approach like this ensures that the practitioner looks at all aspects of the person’s health and doesn’t just focus on one of them. This helps to ensure more complete healing.
Identification of Root Causes
When treating any addiction, getting to the root cause is critical to avoid relapse. Many people think that they can just go through detox and continue with their lives as normal without any further work. Unfortunately, some facilities do send clients on their way after the detox process without having gotten to the root cause of their addiction. In many cases, this will lead to the individual turning back to drugs or alcohol rather quickly.
The “root cause” refers to the reason that the individual began to engage in substance abuse in the first place. In some cases, the person can point to this root cause pretty easily. Maybe it was poor stress management, a toxic work environment, or an unhappy home situation. Once they have identified this root cause, they can begin to consider possible solutions for it.
However, it’s not always that simple for some people. They may not yet know what factors led them to develop a substance use disorder. It could take counseling and a lot of self-reflection for them to get that answer. Getting to that root cause will become a critical part of their recovery moving forward.
This is another reason why biopsychosocial planning is so important. It ensures both the individual and the practitioner are going into treatment with the right goals in mind. This can make all the difference in starting the recovery process on the right foot. It can also help to promote better progress and healing.
Establishing a Stronger Support System
We know that a strong support system is critical for success in recovery and that it plays a crucial role in preventing relapse. A support system is often made up of a person’s family members, friends, and community members. However, it is important for practitioners to acknowledge that not everyone comes from a supportive background. Thus, they might not have a support network to turn to upon completing treatment.
Additionally, biopsychosocial planning helps to ensure that the importance of social support is not left out of an individual’s treatment plan. It encourages creating social connections from the very beginning of treatment by working toward goals like:
- Strengthening existing relationships with friends and family members
- Healing relationships that may be strained or broken due to past substance use or other factors
- Reaching out to the community to connect with friends (such as through 12-Step support group meetings or other initiatives)
- Pinpointing social connections that might stand in the way of progress (for example unhealthy relationships)
This way, by the time the person does complete the initial stages of treatment, they can feel more confident in the support system that they’ve created for themselves.
Biopsychosocial Planning at Wisconsin Wellness
At Wisconsin Wellness, our goal is to get to know each client independently and intimately to offer them the best track toward recovery. We utilize interactive biopsychosocial assessments to ensure that our clients only engage with the means, methods, and modalities that will best serve their recovery. Even more importantly, we believe that this will help to allow them to enjoy long-term recovery.
The better informed a practitioner is regarding the person they are treating, the more effectively they are going to be able to treat them. This is why we value the comprehensive approach that biopsychosocial planning helps us to achieve.
Moving Forward With a Biopsychosocial Assessment
The whole-person approach that biopsychosocial assessments help to achieve can promote more complete healing. Does this sound like a treatment option that would work well with your needs? If so, you can get started as soon as possible at Wisconsin Wellness. This process is very straightforward and painless.
It typically begins with a mental health professional conducting a survey. The mental health professional will likely collaborate with nurse practitioners, psychologists, and other therapists in this process. This survey will help determine your specific psychological, biological, and social needs. Once an accurate health record is established, our team will then begin to work with you to identify the best treatment plan to fit your needs.
If certain aspects of a treatment plan do not go exactly as intended, it is always an option to look back at the biopsychosocial assessment to determine the cause.
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what their past looks like or what struggles they may be going through. Unfortunately, due to fear of judgment, many people hesitate to reach out for the help they need. At our facility at Wisconsin Wellness, we treat everyone who walks in our doors with genuine compassion and care. We believe in looking at the individual as a person before their addiction. Thus, we utilize a whole-person approach to ensure every aspect of the person’s health and wellness is addressed. If you’re ready to get started today, reach out to our facility at (920) 404-2100. A member of our team can help to answer any of your questions.