Cards (2)

  • A comprehensive definition

    One strength of the ideal mental health criterion is that it is highly comprehensive:
    • Jahoda's criteria provides a range of reasons that someone might seek professional help
    • This means that individuals can discuss their mental health with relevant professionals
    • Therefore, ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess others
  • May be culture-bound

    One limitation of the ideal mental health criterion is that its different elements are not equally applicable across a range of cultures:
    • Some of Jahoda's criteria are firmly located in the context of the US and Europe
    • For example, low importance placed on personal independence in Italy but high in Germany
    • What defines success in out lives is different across cultures
    • Therefore, it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another