Real world application

• one strength of the biological approach is that it has real world application
• Increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brain is associated with the use of psychoactive drugs to treat serious mental disorders
• For example the biological approach has promoted the treatment of clinical depression using antidepressant drugs that increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain. Such drugs have been associated with the reduction of depressive symptoms
• This means that people with depression may be better able to manage their condition and live their lives in community, rather than remain in hospital