AO1 - Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

• Jahoda (1958) put forward a set of criteria and suggested that anyone deviating from this was suffering from a mental illness.
• A person with a mental illness would lack some or all of Jahoda's criteria.
• Jahoda's criteria were that we are symptom free, rational, self-actualised, unstressed, realistic, with good self-esteem.
• Jahoda (1958) suggested that there were 6 criteria that needed to be fulfilled for ideal mental health (normality).
• Positive attitude towards the self is to have a good sense of self-esteem.
• Self-actualisation is being in a state of contentment, feeling that you have become the best you can be.
• Autonomy is having independence and self-reliance, meaning the ability to function as an individual and not dependent on others.
• Our resistance to stress is when an individual should not feel pressure and should be able to handle stressful situations competently.
• Environmental mastery means that the person can adapt to new situations and be at ease at all situations in their life.
• Individuals should also have an accurate perception of reality, which is a perspective that is similar to how others see the world.