This textbook is designed for health studies students and those undertaking training in the health professions, particularly those who are taught about health and disease in terms of biological, psychological and social factors. These three ways of understanding health are often regarded as offering an holistic approach, but they differ greatly in the way they explain health related issues. This book examines the difficulties of applying the three perspectives together in practice.

Drawing on first-hand accounts of professionals from a diverse range of health fields, the tensions within the biopsychosocial model are explored. Part one includes chapters on health visiting, nursing, mental health teams and child protection. Part two examines the challenge to professional models from lay views of child abuse, health promotion, complementary therapies and bereavement. The final section reviews attempts to develop an holistic approach to health through the integration of perspectives, both in research and in practice.