Definitions of abnormality

• Statistical infrequency - any behaviour that is found statistically infrequent is found in very few people (abnormality is rare). Someone is abnormal if they occupy the extreme ends of a normal distribution curve.
• Statistically infrequent but yet desirable behaviour: musicality, multilingual, high IQ, photographic memory, an extreme record breaker.
• Limitation (si): Some abnormal beh. is desirable: equally some normal beh. that is undesirable (e.g. depression is relatively common, yet undesirable). Therefore we are unable to distinguish between desirable and undesirable beh. So in order to identify that patient needs treatment, these needs to be a mean of identifying infrequent + undesirable.
• Limitation (si): The cut-off point is subjectively determined (need to decide where to separate ). E.g. difficulty sleeping is a symptom of depression and we might decide that sleeping less than 80% of population is abnormal and make a statement: 'sleeping fewer than 80% of population as abnormal'. But some people might think that sleeping less than 90% is a better cut-off point.
• Strength (si): Sometimes using this criteria is appropriate. E.g. intellectual disability - defined in terms of the normal distribution curve to establish cut-off point. Any individual whose IQ is more than two standard deviations below the mean is judged as having a mental disorder. However such diagnosis is only made in conjunction with failure to function adequately.
• Limitation(ftfa): abnormality isn't always accompanied by dysfunction. E.g. psychopaths can commit murder and still appear normal - Harold Shipman, English doctor who killed at least 25 patients over 23 years, whilist a respected appearance.
• Limitation (ftfa): The beh. may be quite normal. Criteria doesn't consider situations in which a healthy psychological response for someone may mean a period of inability to f. ad. E.g. grieving is a normal response for overcoming loss - should not become a factor in identifying abnormality.

  By this issue someone's beh. may be incorrectly identified as abnormal.
• 7 features of dysfunction proposed by Rosenhan & Seligman (1989)

  Observer discomfort is beh. that causes discomfort to others.

  Violation of moral standards is beh. that violates society's moral standards, such as causing pain to another person.

  Unconventionality in beh. is unusual or odd behavior.
• 7 features of dysfunction proposed by Rosenhan & Seligman (1989)

  Personal distress is a key feature of abnormality.

  Maladaptive behavior is beh. that stops individuals from attaining life goals, socially and occupationally.

  Unpredictability in beh. is characterized by loss of control, such as attempting suicide.

  Irrationality is beh. that cannot be explained in a rational way.
• Failure to function adequately - failing to cope with everyday life. The more features of abnormality (proposed by Roseham and Seligman) an individual displays, the more dysfunctional they are.
• Limitation (ftfa): Problem over deciding who judges what beh. is dysfunctional.

  In some cases patient himself may recognise that his beh. is undesirable. Or that individual is quite content with the situation or just unaware that they are not coping, therefore others must judge their beh.
• Strength (ftfa): it does take into consederation the subjective experiences of patient, feelings, thoughts, issues they are facing. Therefore ftfa is a useful tool to asses abnormality as it takes into account the effect person's symptoms have on their everyday life.
• Strength (ftfa): really easy to judge objectively through the criterion (WHODAS).
• Strength (ftfa): unlike others focused on the needs of an individual, not on what society expects.
• Deviation from social norms - suggests that a person is seen as abnormal if their thinking or behaviour violates an unwritten rule of society (social rules).
• Dfsn draws a line between desirable and undesirable behaviours. E.g. if a person is unable to discard useless or worn-out possessions (hoarding) - undesirable - deviates social norms.
• Social norms - ways in which most people behave, established by social groups (some rules are implicit, understood by everyone). E.g. seeing naked person, in London street is abnormal, however in rural areas it is normal, like a part of culture)
• Limitation (dfsn) - Social norms change over time, therefore we cannot truly define any certain act as 'abnormal'; we open new doors to definitions based on social morals and attitudes of the time. E.g. homosexuality was considered as a mental illness until 1990.
• Limitation (dfsn): No clear line between abnormal and eccentricity (odd beh.). Social evidence is related to degree and context, it cannot offer a complete definition of abnormality, as it is inevitably related to both. E.g. 1)wearing a bikini in the beach completely normal, but the some outfit is classroom/formal event - abnormal, possibly an indication for mental illness. 2)shouting loundly is a deviant beh. but not an evidenceof disorder *unless* it is excessive, or might even than still not be a disorder.
• Strength (dfsn): it allows for our understanding that a beh. may be normal in one situation but not another. E.g. naked in town centre goes against norms, but being naked at a nudist beach is normal.
• Strength (dfsn): it allows the consideration of the social dimensions of behaviour.
• Deviation from ideal mental health - Maria Jahoda identified 6 characteristics of what is to be normal and an absence of these characteristics indicates abnormality.
• The 6 criteria (PRAISE):

  Positive attitude towards self (self-esteem + beliefs about themselves)

  Self-actualisation (refers to a person to be content with themselves, Malsow's hierarchy top part)

  Personal autonomy (function independently, not dependent on others)

  Resistance to stress ( handle stressful situations completely with no distress)

  Environmental mastery (able to change, adapt to new situation with no stress)

  Accurate perception of reality (way in which person sees the world, should interpret the world similarly to others, don't display distorted thinking, e.g. dellusions)
• Dfimh overlaps with ftfa - distress criteria, not being able to cope with stress is a sign of abnormality in both.
• Limitation (dfimh): Unrealistic criteria received major criticism, as according to them most of us are abnormal. Ideal criteria. Raises the question of how many need to be lucking before a person would be judged as abnormal.
• Limitation (dfimh): criteria is difficult to measure, as fully subjective. E.g. how easy is to access capacity for personal growth or environmental mastery.

  Approach may be an interesting concept but not usable on practise.
• Limitation (dfimh): Suggests that mental health is the same as physical. In general physical illnesses have physical causes that are easier to detect and diagnose, such as viruses, infections. It is possible that some mental disorders also have physical causes, such as brain injury or drug use, but many do not. Instead, they are the consequences of life experiences. Therefore it is unlikely that we could diagnose mental abnormality in the same way, as we diagnose physical abnormality.
• Strength (dfimh): It is a positive approach.

  The dfimh offers an alternative percpective on mental disorder by focusing on the positives rather than negatives and on what is desirable rather than undesirable.

  Even though Jahoda's ides have were never really taken up by mental health proffesionals, her ideas have had some influence and are in according with the "positive psychology" movement