Premium Essay

Pyc4811

In: Philosophy and Psychology

Submitted By LethaboPuno
Words 1156
Pages 5
PYC 4811
657794

1

Table of Contents
1. Introduction

3

2. Community Psychology

3

3. Public Health Approach

4

4. Conclusion

5

5. References

6

2

1. Introduction
Worldwide most developed countries are marked by a holistic proactive community oriented social services backed by an efficient public health services, ultimately such effective social structures impact positively on the country citizen’s life expectancy and vibrant workmanship which in turn enhance the economic status of the country and relief the social security burden off the country’s welfare system.

2. Community Psychology

Community psychology was formalised as a discipline in 1965 however continued to be characterised by the mental health reform movements from its inception in the
United States of America with the primary objective to care for the mentally ill. The most three prominent movements were established in the early 1800s to 1960s each movement led to establishment of institutions. As mentioned Seedat, Cloete, &
Shochet (1988) that “the mental health model, which has its roots in the community mental health movement is based on the explicit intention to prevent mental illness each of the movement was aimed to treat mental illness” as a societal rather than an individual problem and to foster prevention rather than cure.

The models of community psychology allows the discipline to be proactive and holistic towards approaching community impediments, such as the mental health model proactively takes into account the hazardous factors that can affect the social functioning of the community and provide expertise to empower and help community members realise their potential and manage crisis.
Whereas the social action model action model aims to promote social activism, political engagement and socio-economic parity through policies

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Pyc4811

...COMMUNITY AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY PYC4811 UNIQUE NO: 536712 ASSIGNMENT 2 STUDENT NO: 48932930 Contents Cover page page 1 Contents page page 2 Introduction page 3 Principles of community psychology page 3/4 The Community page 4 The Problem page 5 Design of the programme page 6 Conclusion page 7 References page 8 Introduction "Community psychology concerns the relationships of the individual to communities and society. Through collaborative research and action, Community psychologists seek to understand and to enhance quality of life for individuals, communities and society" (Dalton, Elias & Wandersman, 209, p5) To understand the possible roles of a community psychologist, we need to understand the principles that govern how we appeoach a situation. 1. Principles of community psychology 1.1 Prevention Prevention deals with identifying ways to minimise or prevent the problem from occurring. Treatment...

Words: 1221 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Pyc4811 - 657794

... Introduction The aim of this discussion is to make a critical comparison between community psychology and public health and their different approaches to social problems. Each of these models strengths and weaknesses will be examined. Community psychology is concerned with how the individual interacts with the environment and the way society affects the individual. The main concern here is not just the individual but the wider community affecting the individual as well. Public health is focused on the health and well being of the whole population as regulated by the government. The main similarity between these two models is that community psychology and public health share the idea of primary prevention rather than offering a cure.  Core features of community psychology and public health Public health emerged as 'social action' to combat the spread of infectious diseases by promoting general hygiene in the community, such as waste removal. (Gilbert, 1995) Preventing many diseases as well as socially harmful behaviour is one of the main goals of public health. (Tutorial Letter 102, 2015, p.6) Various professionals help is needed when dealing with public health because of all the different factors when dealing with disease. This is why public health uses a multi-disciplinary approach integrating the physical, psychological and social well-being. (Gilbert, 1995) After the Second World War, community psychology started by shifting focus from the individual to the larger...

Words: 859 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Pyc4811 Assignment 1

...PYC4811 Assignment 1- 657794 Student Number- 55560296 Community Psychology and Public Health’s Approaches to Social Problems Introduction Community Psychology and Public Health models both cover the same ground but with key differences in the explanation of causes and influences on mental illness. Community psychology has a primary focus on understanding, and working with, people in their wider social context. Public Health on the other hand is concerned with preventing disease and distress of all forms before they occur (Tutorial Letter 102 for PYC4811, 2015). It attempts through scientific investigation to understand such links between the socioenvironmental context and the individual and then to interrupt or otherwise alter these connections in an effort to reduce the likelihood of individuals engaging in high risk behaviours and being exposed to environments that could endanger their health (Tutorial Letter 102 for PYC4811, 2015). The central focus of both is focusing more on prevention rather than cure. In the era we are currently in most of the illnesses people suffer from are long term and chronic and therefore the need to see doctors so that is can be controlled is of high demand. The growing social upheaval and intensifying tensions in South Africa have evoked concern and panic among mental health professionals. In an attempt to lessen the anxiety many psychologists have boarded the community psychology wagon to cross the great divide between the ...

Words: 1443 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Pyc4811 - Community Psychology

...Monica Fourie Student Number: 45918287 PYC4811 Assignment 1: Unique number – 657794 Monica Fourie Student Number: 45918287 657794 PYC4811 Assignment 1: Unique number - CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 2. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................ 1 2.1. History ............................................................................................................................................... 1 2.2. Focus, involvement and aim ............................................................................................................. 1 2.3. Seat of pathology .............................................................................................................................. 2 2.4. Models .............................................................................................................................................. 2 2.5. Methods of evaluating interventions for long-term success ............................................................. 3 3. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 3 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 4 Monica Fourie Student...

Words: 1918 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Psychology

...PYC4811 COMMUNITY AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY Assignment 1 Unique number: 536709 Student number: 46338462 Assignment 1: 536709 PYC4811 Student number: 46338462 Index 1. Introduction 2. Historical background 3. Aims and approaches 4. Theories 5. Critiques 6. Conclusion 7. References 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 2 Assignment 1: 536709 PYC4811 Student number: 46338462 Introduction According to Orford (1998:36) Community Psychology(CP) is about understanding people within their social worlds and using this understanding to improve people's well-being. Public Health (PH) is defined by The American Heritage Medical Dictionary (cited in Thefreedictionary, 2000) as “the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community.” CP and PH approach the prevention and resolution of mental health issues by addressing social problems. Their histories, aims and approaches and theories are linked, yet contain significant differences. This essay will explore these issues and to come up with a personal critique of the benefits and shortfalls presented in each approach. Historical Background CP originated in the USA. It was influenced by the mental health reform movements (moral treatment, mental hygiene, and deinstitutionalisation) and the fight against poverty for social change and justice (Guernina, 1995:4). According to Seedat, Cloete & Shochet (cited in the Reader for PYC4811, 2013:218-219) this was primarily due to the need to find help in alleviating the...

Words: 1549 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Psychology

...Name: Deshni Naidoo Student Number: 44105096 Module: Community and Health Psychology Course Code: PYC4811 Assignment number: 1 Unique number: 657794 Name: Deshni Naidoo ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Student number :44105096 Community Psychology Vs Public Health Which approach would you choose to promote healthy living.................... Although the main focus of Community Psychology and Public Health centres around ‘prevention’ in order to promote health and wellness, there are also some visible differences as mention in Tutorial Letter 102 for PYC4811 (2015) between the two approaches. Community Psychology originated from mental reform units in the United States of America (Guerina, 1995). There were three influential movements that led to the development of particular types of institutions namely the moral treatment movements (Therapeutic mental hospitals) in the 1800s, the ‘mental hygiene movement’ (Child Guidance Clinics) in the 1900s and deinstitutionalisation (community health centres) in the 1960s (Guerina). Whereas ‘Public health’ is based on the biomedical model of illness, and is practised in most industrialised countries that is South Africa and many other post colonial societies as mentioned in Tutorial Letter 102 for PYC4811 (2015). The ‘New Public Health’ was set in place between 1914-1918, it recognised the importance of social aspects of health problems caused by lifestyles (Hattingh et al ., 2008). As defined by Hattingh et al (2008,P.5) “Public health is the science and...

Words: 802 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Comparing Community and Public Health

...Terre Blanche, Martin Apr 21 Dear Yasmin Not a problem – an extension is fine. Please just try not to go more than a week or two past the deadline and please put a note at the start of your assignment saying I said it is fine. We won't penalise you for late submission. Best of luck with your family responsibilities and heavy workload this year! Kind regards Martin Yasmin Moosagie 44670540 UNISA Pyc4811 Assignment 1: Unique no: 805932 Yasmin Moosagie 44670540 UNISA Pyc4811 Assignment 1: Unique no: 805932 2016 2016 Write an essay in which you critically compare and contrast the community psychology and public health approaches to social problems. At first glance, there seems to be a fine line between community psychology and the public health approach, however on further examination it is more than semantics that separate these two principles. Both, community psychology and the public health approach, started as a result of the frustration of main stream psychology not being able to address broader social issues. The realisation that psychology needed to focus a great deal more on community and social change in order to address mental health and illness. Although community psychology and the public health approach seem to share the same intrinsic values, the focus of community psychology seems to be more aimed at the cultural and political aspect of social behaviour and outcomes, whereas the public health is focused more on health and prevention...

Words: 957 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Community Psychology

...Table of contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………3 History and core concepts……………………………………………………………………...3 Similarities and differences…………………………………………………………………….5 Strengths and weaknesses…………………………………………………………………….6 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….6 Reference list…………………………………………………………………………………….7 3 Critically compare and contrast community psychology with the public health approach Introduction In this essay, I will critically compare and contrast community psychology and the public health model in terms of their origins, core concepts, strengths and pitfalls of each approach, similarities and differences and in what way these approaches do or do not supplement one another. Community Psychology according to The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology is defined as “a branch of applied psychology that focuses on person-environment interactions usually at the level of the community and is aimed at improving the general quality of life within a community” (Matsumoto, 2009). The Public Health model also consists of efforts to improve the health of communities and according to The Acheson Report, is defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society” (Department of health, 1998). History and core concepts Community psychology in South Africa followed a very close development likened to the American development and gained its momentum at a time where social disorder was present...

Words: 1472 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

A Comparison of Community Psychology and Public Health

...A COMPARISON OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH. In this assignment the key differences and similarities of community psychology and the public health approach will be examined and critically compared. Community Psychology is a branch of psychology which is concerned primarily with achieving positive mental health in the broader context of the community rather than the individual. Public health is primarily concerned and focused on changing behaviours within the context of the public in order to lower the incidence of disease and lower the workload placed on professional medical practitioners. Community psychology is a relatively new field as far as the behaviour sciences go and was only established as a solution to the capitalistic and individualistic approach psychology had become after the Second World War. It does not stand as a unique and recognised field at the moment as there is little research and theories available in order to support further development. It is for this reason that when faced with challenges community psychology often reverts back to methods of individual psychotherapy. This damages the ultimate process and outcomes the initiatives. Community psychology also criticises conventional psychology for being elitist and only catering to the wealthy portion of the community as well as ignoring the low income groups who require the services. Community psychology strives to create equality to all social groups and therefore can often seem over...

Words: 1191 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Public Health and Community Psychology

...Address: 660 Chlorite Street, Elardus Park, 0181, Pretoria Student number: 55128920 Paper code: PYC4811 Unique Assignment no: 536709 Assignment: 01 Contents Page * Introduction pg.3 * Historical Background & Development pg.3 * Similarities between Community Psychology and Public Health pg.4 * Limitations and Differences between Community Psychology and Public Health pg.6 * Conclusion pg.7 * Reference List pg.8 Introduction According to Perkins (https://my.vanderbilt.edu/perkins/2011/09/intro-to-community-psychology/) community psychology (CP) can be defined as the relationship between social systems and individual well-being in the community context. Thus, community psychologists grapple with an array of social and mental health problems and they do so through research and interventions in both public and private community settings. PH on the other hand according to Last (cited in Gilbert, 1995) can be defined as one of the efforts organised by society to protect...

Words: 1225 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Community and Health Psychology

...Table of contents Page no Contents 01 Personal information 02 Introduction 03 Conclusion 04 Anisa Abbas 22 July 2015 Student no 3618 863 8 Community & Health Psychology PYC4811 Assignment 02 657832 Introduction Community! “A group or network of people who are connected to each other by relatively durable social relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties and who mutually define that relationship as important to their social identity and social practice. They are a selforganized network of people with a common agenda or interest who come together by sharing ideas, information and other resources.” Trichardt, a pocket sized town which claims a mere 25 square kilometers in the Gert Sibande district of the Mpumalanga Province has a total of four thousand residents. Our small town has a mixed racial make-up with more than half of the residents being of the white race group. Recently a substantial amount of Asian/Indian families have settled into Trichardt. A possible reason for the influx would be that the location of the Masjid is easily accessible to the Muslim families. The Masjid is a point of gathering for the youth and male folk which also introduces and welcomes any new members into the community. In the past ten years of residing in Trichardt, I have witnessed dozens of caring, sharing and selfless behaviors within our community. There are a few senior members of the community who take on a leadership...

Words: 968 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Community

...PYC4811 ASSIGNMENT 2 TABLE OF CONTENT CONTENTS PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION 2 2 APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2-4 2.1POVERTY 2 2.2PREVENTION 2 2.3CHANGE 2 2.4EMPOWERMENT 3 2.5INDIVIDUAL WELNESS 3 2.6CITIZEN PARTICIPATION 3 2.7COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGHT 3 2.8SENSE OF COMMUNITY 4 3 CONCLUSION 4 REFERENCES ...

Words: 877 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Community Psychology Versus Public Health

...COMMUNITY AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY – PYC4811 PYC 4811 UNIQUE NO: 657794 Assignment 01 Critically compare and contrast the community psychology and public health approaches to social problems. Introduction to Community Psychology and Public health approach Community psychology is essentially concerned with the relationship between social systems and individual well-being in the community context. Public health refers to all organized measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole. Its activities aim to provide conditions in which people can be healthy and focus on entire populations, not on individual patients or diseases. Thus public health and community psychology are both concerned with a population at large and not an individual alone. (http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story076/en/). Both approaches have a shared belief that effective treatment should focus on preventative measures that address the causes and effects of diseases as opposed to curative measures which merely treat the incidences and symptoms. (Guernina, 1995). Characteristics of both approaches Community psychology places emphasis on principles and strategies that can prevent social, emotional and behavioral problems and wellness and health promotion at the individual and community levels, borrowed from public health and preventive medicine, rather than a passive, and treatment-based medical model. Early identification and intervention...

Words: 996 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Tutorial

...HRPYC81/103/0/2013 Tutorial Letter 103/0/2013 Research Report HRPYC81 Year module Department of Psychology This tutorial letter contains Projects 4808 to 4813 Bar code CONTENTS READ ME FIRST .......................................................................................................................................... 3 PROJECT 4808 ............................................................................................................................................ 4 PROJECT 4809 ............................................................................................................................................ 5 PROJECT 4810 .......................................................................................................................................... 14 PROJECT 4811 .......................................................................................................................................... 36 PROJECT 4812 .......................................................................................................................................... 42 PROJECT 4813 .......................................................................................................................................... 55 2 HRPYC81/103 READ ME FIRST Tutorial Letter 102 Tutorial Letter contains Assignment 01as well as the following projects: Project 4802 Project 4803 Project 4804 Project 4805 Project 4807 Tutorial Letter 103 Tutorial Letter 103...

Words: 20483 - Pages: 82