Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

• What is Deviation from ideal Mental Health?

  Behaviours that fails to meet specific criteria for psychological wellbeing.
• What are absences of these sign seen as?

  They are used to judge abnormality.
• How many categories are proposed by JAHODA?

  6
• Who created the Criteria for DIMH?

  Jahoda
• What were Jahoda's criteria?

  1. Accurate Perception of Reality.
  2. Self-actualisation: Being self-aware.
  3. Resistance to Stress
  4. Positive attitudes towards self; Having high self esteem
  5. Autonomy and Independence
  6. Environmental Mastery - Ability to function and adjust to new situations
• What happens without these traits?

  We become more vulnerable to abnormality and potential mental disorders
• Strength of DIMH

  Positive and Holistic Approach to diagnosis:

  This approach to diagnosis allows the whole picture of a person’s life to be seen therefore allowing them to be diagnosed to a correct degree and offered help which is tailored to help them in different aspects of their life which they are struggling to meet on the criteria.

  This approach to diagnosis does not let patients feel as though there is something wrong with them and that they are only struggling to cope with life.  
• Weakness of DIMH

  Criteria is too demanding and honestly quite unrealistic

  Some people may fail to meet criteria that are not on this list and due to it not being on this list they may not be seen as abnormal and their problems might not be taken problem which could lead to worsening mental health if they do not receive any help for the diagnosis  
• Weakness of DIMH

  Cultural bias in some of the criteria’s - This is because some cultures will see independence as abnormal instead of normal mental health however, Jahoda's criteria places a lot of value on independence and autonomy.