The March of Progress version of the biomedical model assumes that pharmacotherapy is medicine, but the Social Construction perspective believes that the biomedical model is too influenced by pharmaceutical determinism, in which pharmaceutical companies contributes to our understanding and experiences of mental illnesses. This analysis will discuss and critique the claims and implications presented by the March of Progress’ version of the biomedical model. The biomedical model includes the broken-brain hypothesis by stating that a broken brain part causes the behavioral outcome, which can be treated with pharmacotherapy. In doing so, the biomedical model illustrates a single factor and main effect model because the medicine targets the underlying pathological mechanism that is believed to be the origin of the symptoms, and the main effect is the helpful remedy that the medicine provides. The pathological behavior reflects broken brain parts, so we expect to see unit to unit correspondence. Because of this correspondence, medicine is able to target the underlying causes for behavior, which are found in the brain. The model’s …show more content…
Participants in clinical trials self-report whether or not the drugs they are given have helped them. Self-reports are biased in nature. Additionally, participants are reporting on their subjective symptoms which may only have been noticed because of pharmaceutical advertising. Pharmaceutical companies raise awareness of conditions and treatments by labeling ordinary experiences as symptoms of mental illnesses. When people are exposed to this type of advertising, they are more likely to seek out medical treatment, even if none was needed in the first place. This reflects the argument that clinical research is tightly tied to pharmaceutical companies’ interests and the knowledge it produces in the general public and in clinical trials is highly responsive to