From competition to co-operation

Shifting the “one best model” perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID20401482
AuthorsHannah Hawkins-Elder (0000-0002-3511-3908, Victoria University of Wellington, corresponding author), Tony Ward (0000-0002-6292-2364, Victoria University of Wellington)
Year2021
Volume31
Issue6
Pages821-841
Publication date2021-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTheory & Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0959-3543 • E-ISSN: 1461-7447
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0959354321995900
OpenAlexW3133878500
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited74

Mental disorders are arguably one of the most complex and serious problems facing health practitioners today and yet their causes remain, largely, a mystery. Accordingly, there is frequent and heated debate over which of the many available models of mental disorder and their associated therapeutic interventions are likely to be most useful. The prevailing attitude toward the conceptualization of mental distress appears to be that a single superior model will emerge that neatly accounts for one or more disorder presentations: the “One Best Model” (OBM) perspective. In this article, we argue for a transition away from the OBM perspective toward a multiple model approach to psychopathology that is collaborative and pluralistic. We begin by outlining the particulars of the OBM perspective and elaborating on the problems it presents for psychopathology theory and practice. We then suggest specific ways in which this problem may be ameliorated, by adjusting how we approach the processes of modelling disorder, translating models into interventions, and applying models and interventions in practice

Conceptualization · Distress · Epistemology · Mental health · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Psychopathology · Psychotherapist · Computer Science · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Mental Health Research Topics · Psychology · Schizophrenia research and treatment

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