Deviation from ideal mental health

• An example of a theoretical description of abnormality is the one suggested by Marie Jahoda
• Jahoda suggested that there were 6 criteria that needed to be fulfilled for ideal mental health (‘normality’).
• Jahoda's six criteria that needed to be fulfilled for an ideal mental health:

  1. Positive attitude towards self
  2. self actualisation - You should be the best you could be
  3. autonomy - independence and self resilience
  4. resistance to stress
  5. environmental mastery
  6. accurate perception to reality