Psychosocial
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Commentary
A psychosocial perspective is one which includes both psychic experience and social factors. Those from a psychosocial perspective argue that the two are deeply interactional and one cannot separate an individual’s psychology from their social contexts. Both the social and the psychological have dimensions which reply upon the other and cannot be fully understood on their own. It therefore includes societal, cultural, and historical contexts along with psychological experiences.
The Association for Psychosocial Studies states that psychosocial studies can be identified by: their interdisciplinary approach; its non-positivistic theory and methods; and its attempt to make progressive social and personal change.
Psychosocial research can vary in topics dramatically and can include sociology, psychoanalysis, critical psychology, post-structuralism, philosophy, feminism, post-colonial theory and queer theory. However the psychosocial approach is often in areas such as counselling, psychotherapy and social work.