What is the Social Model in Mental Health?

The social model in mental health is an approach that looks beyond biology and focuses on the wider social context. Where the medical model treats mental illness as something inside a person’s brain or body, the social model points to outside factors. These might be relationships, environment, stigma, or lack of opportunities.

This way of thinking has grown in influence over the past fifty years, partly due to challenges from service users, campaigners, and social scientists. The social model is used by many charities, advocacy groups, and social care providers across the UK.

Core Principles of the Social Model

The social model rests on several core beliefs. Professionals and support workers using this approach may hold the following views:

• Mental distress is shaped by society, not just biology or personal weakness.
• Experiences such as poverty, discrimination, trauma, and poor housing can influence wellbeing.
• The way mental illness is labelled or treated often reflects culture and social values.
• Recovery happens in the community, not just by taking medicines.

The social model argues that for many people, improving mental health means removing social barriers and changing attitudes, not simply treating symptoms.

Causes of Mental Health Challenges: A Social Perspective

The social model suggests that external pressures are often responsible for mental distress. These can include:

• Poverty: Struggling financially can cause worry, low mood, and long-term stress.
• Isolation: Lacking family or community support leaves people feeling alone and unsupported.
• Discrimination: Racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination can harm self-esteem and wellbeing.
• Unemployment or Job Insecurity: Not having stable work can increase anxiety and depression.
• Poor Housing: Damp, unsafe, or overcrowded living conditions make life harder and more stressful.
• Trauma or Abuse: Harmful experiences, especially in childhood, can have lasting effects.

The social model states that these factors play a large role in whether someone becomes mentally unwell.

Critique of Diagnosis and Labels

Advocates of the social model often question the value of diagnosis and medical labelling. They believe that:

• Labels can lead to stigma and discrimination.
• Naming a set of behaviours as “disorders” ignores personal story and life context.
• Medical labels can limit someone’s opportunities, such as when applying for work or education.
• Overemphasis on diagnosis can hide the role of external factors.

By focusing more on a person’s environment, society, and experiences, the social model treats each person as unique.

Key Interventions in the Social Model

The social model uses a range of interventions that differ from those of the medical model. These focus on changing social circumstances and tackling inequalities.

Interventions often include:

• Providing access to safe housing
• Supporting people to find work, training, or volunteering
• Building social networks and community links
• Reducing isolation through group activities or befriending
• Legal support with benefits, discrimination, or rights
• Campaigning for improved access to green spaces, leisure, or public transport

Taking action in these areas can make a bigger difference to some people’s wellbeing than medication alone.

Strengths of the Social Model

Many service users, campaigners, and professionals value the social model for several reasons:

• Focus on empowerment—encourages people to take control and make changes.
• Recognition of personal story—puts lived experience at the centre.
• Tackles root causes—addresses poverty, isolation, and discrimination rather than just symptoms.
• Promotes inclusion—strives to remove barriers and support everyone’s right to a full life.
• Challenges stigma—questions negative attitudes, stereotypes, and unfair treatment.

This way of working often results in services that are flexible, respectful, and creative.

Weaknesses and Criticisms

Despite its strengths, the social model faces some challenges:

• Changing social conditions can take time, money, and political will.
• Medical help remains necessary for some people, especially in severe crises.
• Not all causes of distress come from outside—biology can still play a role.
• Some critics feel the social model underestimates the suffering caused by serious mental illnesses, such as psychosis.

Many now believe in combining the best parts of the social and medical models.

Role of Social Care and Advocacy

In the UK, social care workers, peer supporters, and advocacy groups play a big role in the social model. They provide:

• Practical support with daily life and recovery
• Help to access welfare benefits and housing
• Advocacy to challenge unfair treatment, for example in the workplace or when using services
• Information and advice about rights
• Activities and projects that build confidence, skills, and hope

These staff focus on helping people regain control over their lives, rather than managing symptoms alone.

Community and Peer Support

The social model makes strong use of community support. This includes:

• Peer support from people with lived experience
• Befriending schemes
• User-led groups and social clubs

Benefits of community and peer support:

• Shared understanding and mutual respect
• Building new skills and confidence
• Breaking down isolation
• Reduced dependence on medical services

Peer support is valued as it provides non-judgemental space and helps people feel less alone.

Tackling Stigma and Discrimination

The social model aims to tackle discrimination and change public attitudes. Actions can include:

• National campaigns to reduce stigma
• Education in schools, workplaces, and the media
• Promoting the idea that mental health is affected by social problems, not personal failings
• Lobbying for stronger anti-discrimination laws

Reducing stigma opens up opportunities for people to seek help, find work, and have their voices heard.

Partnership and Involvement

A central part of the social model is involving service users in decision-making. This means:

• Co-production of services—users shape what support looks like
• Listening to lived experience and using it to drive change
• Employing service users and carers as workers, trainers, or consultants

This participatory approach gives service users more power to influence care and policy.

Differences from the Medical Model

While both models aim to improve mental health, there are key differences:

• The medical model focuses on biology and medical treatment. The social model looks at environment and society.
• The medical model usually bases support on diagnosis. The social model uses personal stories and needs.
• The medical model mostly uses medication. The social model uses practical, social, and community-based support.

Some services use both approaches together to suit each person’s needs.

Rights and Legislation

Legal rights are a central part of the social model. Key UK laws that help protect mental health from a social perspective include:

• The Equality Act 2010: protects against unfair treatment on the grounds of disability, including mental health.
• The Care Act 2014: places a duty on councils to help people achieve wellbeing, stay safe, and get practical support.
• Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended): outlines rights and safeguards for people receiving mental health care.

Knowing and using these rights is a large part of the social model’s work.

Recovery and Wellbeing

The social model sees recovery as a social process, not just a medical one. Key ideas of recovery in this approach include:

• Regaining purpose and hope
• Being included and valued in your community
• Developing skills and connections
• Gaining control over your own life and choices

Recovery is seen as something people do, not something that is done “to” them.

Examples of Social Model Services

Social model principles are found in many UK services, such as:

• Recovery colleges—offer courses to build skills and confidence
• Supported housing schemes
• Community drop-ins and wellbeing hubs
• Crisis cafés
• Advocacy projects
• Peer-led support groups

These services work in partnership with users and local communities.

Bringing Together Medical and Social Approaches

Many professionals, service users, and carers believe that the best support brings together medical and social approaches. This might mean:

• Using medication while also tackling poverty and discrimination
• Offering therapy alongside peer support
• Supporting rights and choices even during crisis

Blending approaches allows for a more rounded view of people’s lives and needs.

Final Thoughts

The social model in mental health argues that poor wellbeing is shaped by society, environment, and relationships rather than just individual biology. It highlights the impact of poverty, stigma, housing, and access to opportunity on mental health.

By focusing on rights, inclusion, empowerment, and community, the social model offers a broader view of what supports recovery and wellbeing. Many people in the UK now use services that combine both medical and social models, reflecting a more complete understanding of mental health and the real world challenges people face.