Photo: View of Golden Gate Bridge from labyrinth.  In the mental
health system, the biomedical model is the dominant paradigm. It
depicts mental disorders as chronic diseases requiring lifelong
treatment with medication (like diabetes or high blood
pressure). This model of mental illness has been under attack in
the US, where an estimated 20 percent of the population
regularly takes psychiatric medications.  Arguments against the
biomedical approach intensified during the past decade as
consumer advocates became more vocal, and researchers and
journalists challenged the veracity of the disease model of
mental disorders. However, given the vast number of people
suffering from psychological distress, reliance on medication
continues. Furthermore, for persons suffering from mental
disorders, the situation is often dire. Around the world, more
people die from suicide than homicide.  Some of the most
damaging criticisms of the biomedical approach came from
researchers in the field. For example, an often-cited revi