Biopsychosocial determinants of wellbeing – a blueprint for tackling well-being inequalities?

Abstract

This paper argues for the 'social determinants of health' (SDoH) discourse to be extended in three respects. Firstly, the case is made for the 'social' aspect of SDoH to be extended to include biological, psychosocial and social determinants, leading to a new framing of the 'biopsychosocial' determinants of health. Secondly, the paper proposes the focus on health outcomes is extended to include all aspects of well-being, otherwise important interrelationships are overlooked, a shift to biopsychosocial determinants of well-being. The final proposal is to view the path of determinants as multi-directional rather than purely toward outcomes, as outcomes then become determinants themselves in complex cycles, rather than simple linearity. This leads to the final modelling of biopsychosocial cycles of well-being. The paper presents secondary data related to a fictional character to underpin the theoretical developments proposed, and concludes that these three extensions enable an expanded awareness of determinants of wellbeing, with promising implications for practice.