Acritical Comparison Between the Community Psychology and Public Health Approaches to Social Problems

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Aswitcho STUDENT NUMBER: 1234 A critical comparison between the Community Psychology and public Health Approaches to social problems PYC 4811 ASSIGNMENT 01 Unique code:657794 l 19 April 2015 PYC4811 ASSIGNMENT 01 Community psychology and Public health approaches might share similar theories and conceptual models for example the empowerment theory, the social change theory, the dissemination of innovation and the ecological theory but they differ in their explanation of causes and influences of mental illness. I will start by giving a historical background of these two approaches that is, how they originated and their historical developments. I will then give a few pointers with regards to the approaches strengths and weaknesses then conclude by highlighting how these approaches complement each other. According to The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology, “Community psychology is 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”. It is the interaction that is seen between people and the environment within a certain community. Community psychology originated from Mental Reform Movements in the United States of America. The three reform movements were the, “moral treatment” (in the early 1800s), the “mental hygiene” movement (in the early 1900s) and the “deinstitutionalization” (in the 1960s). (Tutorial letter 102/0/2015 for PYC4811). It was first recognized in South Africa in the 1980s during the struggle for democracy. There are two most recognized models in community psychology which are The Mental Health Model and The Social Action Model. The mental health model focuses on, “… prevention, immunization against rick for mental illness and skills-enhancement,” whereas the

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