ABSTRACT

The last chapter of the text explores the possibility of a new model to integrate the field of mental health and bring it into direct connection with other areas of human knowledge. Such a model requires a conceptual framework to provide a system of linked ideas to explain what it is we are trying to build and, at least in general principles, how it works. This framework consists of a multifactoral approach to psychology, systems theory, social construction theory, and evolution. These theories provide the conceptual foundation for the Integrated Model of human knowledge, which organizes knowledge into four basic quadrants: the Internal-Subjective, the Internal-Objective, the External-Subjective, and the External-Objective. It is also organized in levels, reflecting the systems theory foundation. This model of human knowledge then can be accessed to identify currently recognized subfields of study and application. The second half of the chapter explores how this model can be utilized in academia and in practice. Three basic approaches to application are described: expanding individual knowledge through content area study, expanding cross-discipline scholarship and knowledge, and integrating knowledge and practice at the institutional level. Finally, the chapter briefly introduces ideas and examples of how the Integrated Model could be utilized in practice to provide descriptive understanding of individuals in the clinical and nonclinical worlds.