Development of mental illness highly depends on the biological, social and cultural factors. Both physical and environmental elements of an individual interact in an interplay that either initiates, precipitates or exacerbates mental illness. Upbringing and the family setting may also influence the behavior in school, their performance and also the tendency to truancy. Understanding how these factors interplay to cause childhood deviant behavior and the predisposition to develop mental illness later in life is important for psychologists. Wes Moore’s case as described in the book “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates” offers a great example of how imbalances that may exist from the named factors can precede mental illness.
Biological
Biological factors are those that make an individual who they are in terms of their genetic composition ( Duncan & Magnuson, 2011) . The family history of Moore is that of separation and irresponsible parenthood. The mother was a single parent and the father was aged sixteen when Moore was born. The mother was separated and this could have exposed a history of inheritable mental disease within the family. Certain genetic alterations that are passed on from parents can concur to a higher predisposition to mental illnesses. Likewise, mental diseases, especially abnormal personality disorders, tend to run in families. These may have predisposed Moore to illicit drug use which eventually resulted to the crime that led to his incarceration.
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Psychological
Drug abuse is a common precipitator for mental illness. Severally, Moore had been associated with use of illicit drug use. This could as well have been an exhibit of an inherent mental illness that had not been diagnosed. Abuse of drugs is quite common among individuals with underlying psychological problems. This occurs since they resort to substances that blunt their feelings of depression and other mood disturbances. Moore exhibited psychological behavior from an early age by dropping out of school. He was raised by a single mother who did not offer much support to him ( Moore, 2010) . Moore occasionally felt inadequate, had a low self-esteem and he did not establish meaningful and healthy relationships with those around him. His inferiority complex also could have played a role in leading him into drug abuse and several conflicts with the police.
Developmental
The experience of having parents as role models and their presence to mold one’s character plays a crucial role in what one becomes as an adult ( Duncan & Magnuson, 2011) . Moore experienced a myriad of developmental hindrances when growing up. He lacked the support of a functional family. He lacked a father figure throughout his childhood. Moore was not able to draw differences between bad and good behavior, leading him to drug abuse, truancy and criminal activity. These interplayed to blunt his character and Moore was involved in a shooting that consequently handed him a life imprisonment.
Social
Establishment of social relationships and the ability to maintain them are good markers of psychological disease ( Kirmayer et al, 2012) . While some illnesses are associated with increased dependency and attention seeking behavior, others are associated with avoidance and inability to keep healthy relationships. From childhood, Moore’s relationship with his family was dilapidated, only having to depend on one parent for both emotional and physical needs ( Moore, 2010) . He also was unable to relate well with other people around him, occasionally breaking into fights with them. These experiences made Moore distrustful, unconfident and disrespectful. He also led a lonely life.
Cultural
Wes Moore had been raised in a community with high crime rates. The cultural setting of the black community facilitated his indulgence into drug abuse, crime and possession of illegal weapons. With low education rates, people of the black origin are also likely to drop out of school and join criminal activity. An individual’s cultural setting also determines their social welfare, quality of life, opportunities for personal growth and health seeking behavior ( Duncan & Magnuson, 2011) . Access to health and the attitude towards mental illness is also influenced by cultural beliefs.
Interventions
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This psychological approach to treatment of mental illness are aimed at helping an individual develop alternative behavior. Behavioral change is achieved by training an individual on alternative forms of action, though process and intentions ( Kirmayer et al, 2012) . This changes one about their attitude on their problem and intensifies their acceptance of their condition and builds the need to change ( Kirmayer et al, 2012) . Moore could have been taught to take up new actions to manage his behavior, actions and tendency to violence. Cognitive behavioral therapy could have worked from as early as Moore’s childhood. This type of psychotherapy also relives anxiety and integrates the family in the care of a mental illness victim. An important component of the therapy is identification of a negative thought and stopping such as soon as it occurs.
Family Therapy
Dealing with mental illness requires involvement of family members in the care of the individuals and prevention of exacerbations ( Kirmayer et al, 2012) . Moore would have benefited from involving his mother in identifying the social and family stressors and acting in liaison with her to address them. Modification of the social environment of the individual by supporting the family, aiding in placement of Moore to an appropriate school and institution of other support structures would suffice. Additionally.
Conclusion
The biopsychosocial model can be used in the determination of causative and precipitating factors of mental illness. The model explains how several factors around an individual interplay in the causation of psychological ailments. These factors may be psychological, social, family, cultural as well as biological. These also influence the attitude towards health, and the response to therapeutic measures. Institution of timely interventions can suffice in curtailing the occurrence and progression of illness and approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy would have saved Moore.
References
Duncan, G. J., & Magnuson, K. (2011). The nature and impact of early achievement skills, attention skills, and behavior problems. Whither opportunity, 47-69.
Kirmayer, L. J., Fung, K., Rousseau, C., Lo, H. T., Menzies, P., Guzder, J., & McKenzie, K. (2012). Guidelines for training in cultural psychiatry. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 57 (3), 1-16
Moore, W. (2010). The other Wes Moore: One name, two fates . Random House Digital, Inc..
