Social environment

The social environment, social context, sociocultural context or milieu refers to the immediate physical and social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops. It includes the culture that the individual was educated or lives in and the people and institutions with whom they interact.

The Biopsychosocial Model is an interdisciplinary model that looks at the interconnection between biology, psychology, and social environment. The model specifically examines how these aspects play a role in topics ranging from health and disease models to human development. This model was developed by George L. Engel in 1977 and is the first of its kind to employ this type of multifaceted thinking. The Biopsychosocial Model has received criticism about its limitations but continues to carry influence in the fields of psychology, health, medicine, and human development.