deviation from ideal mental health

• what is the definition of deviation from ideal mental health?

  abnormality that fails to meet prescribed criteria for psychological normality wellbeing.
• what did Jahoda (1958) discover?

  the 6 categories that refer to mental health.
• what are the 6 categories for mental health and who discovered them?

  1. self attitudes
  2. personal growth and self actualisation
  3. integration into stressful situations
  4. autonomy
  5. an accurate perception of reality
  6. mastery of the environment

  this suggests that the absence of these criteria indicates abnormality. discovered by Jahoda.
• what are the 3 evaluation points regarding deviation from ideal mental health?

  1. unrealistic
  2. cultural relativism
  3. humans are social beings
• evaluation (AO3) deviation from ideal MH: unrealistic

  this is a positive approach towards abnormality, and focuses on what is desirable and what isn't. it may be of help to therapists as they can aid in restoring a particular behaviour, however the approach is highly unrealistic. furthermore, the criteria is difficult to measure and is highly subjective. it can be argued that if the criteria cannot be measured scientifically, it may not be useful in identifying abnormality.
• evaluation (AO3) deviation from ideal MH: cultural relativism

  most of the criteria of ideal mental health definition are culture bound. for example, Heine et al (1999) asked European/Canadian students and Japanese student about traits they would like to possess. European/Canadian students rated self confidence as the most desirable, however Japanese students rated it the least important. hence, Jahoda's ideal criteria will only be relevant to the culture it was created in, limiting the comprehensiveness.
• evaluation (AO3) deviation from ideal MH: humans are social beings

  Jahoda underestimates the importance of social interaction in her criteria. within the mastery of the environment criteria, Jahoda acknowledges that social interaction has a part in mental health. however, social interactions are far more important as they significantly influence self attitudes, personal growth, and integration. therefore, this definition fails to reflect on the importance of social interactions.