Submitted by: Submitted by phindi
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Words: 911
Pages: 4
Category: Other Topics
Date Submitted: 07/14/2015 12:01 PM
Phindile C. Phiri
Student Number: 44808526
Assignment Number: 01
Unique Number: 657794
Course Code: PYC 4811
Due date: 22 April
This essay will aim to critically compare and contrast community psychology and public health approaches to
social problems. This will be done by discussing the similarities and difference in the two approaches by
reviewing material and publications from different scholars.
Community Psychology was born out of traditional psychology that focused on one-on-one therapy covering
economic, environmental, political and social factors that influence the way in which people live their lives,
touching on social factors that contribute or cause problems in various societies. Their approach enlists the aid
of non-professional community members in order to distribute information and administer grass roots level
care within the community, by using community influencers, it lowers the workload for the professionals and
enables more of the community access to the health services they require,
Public Health, on the other hand, according to Leah Gilberts, in Sociology and the “New Public Health in South
Africa” is defined as being concerned with “preventing disease and distress” in the community as a whole, not
just the individual, before they occur; in its core promoting healthy living and the prevention of illness linked
with lifestyle, which now acknowledges the impact of the environment and the relationship the individual
experiences within it (L. Gilbert, 2012)
Community Psychology stemmed from the shortcomings of traditional psychology, and was born out of three
reforms known as Moral Treatment –therapeutic mental hospital, The Mental Hygiene and
Deinstitutionalisation -community health centres. Similarly Public Health approach was established in South
Africa throughout the past 150 years, and can be divided into four regimes namely was Sanitary science, Social
Medicine, Community Health and New Public Health according to...