Deviation from ideal mental health

• Deviation from ideal mental health - Occurs when someone does not meet a certain criteria for good mental health
• Marie Jahoda (1958) suggested we are in good mental health if we meet this criteria: (1)

  • We have no symptoms or distress
  • We are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
  • We self-actualise (strive to reach our potential)
  • We can cope with stress
• Marie Jahoda (1958) suggested we are in good mental health if we meet this criteria: (2)

  • We have realistic views of the world
  • We have good self-esteem and lack guilt
  • We are independent of other people
  • We can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
• STRENGTH of deviation from ideal mental health: FOCUSED

  • Allows for an individual who's struggling to have targeted intervention if their behaviour is not 'normal'
  • Example: Their distorted thinking could be addressed to help their behaviour become normal, as if their thinking is biased then their behaviour will be too
  • Link: So individual's mental health can be discussed meaningfully with professionals
• WEAKNESS OF deviation from ideal mental health: Extremely HIGH STANDARDS

  • Very few attain all of Jahoda's criteria for mental health. It can be disheartening to see an impossible set of standards to live up to
  • Link: So, majority of population would be classed as 'abnormal'
• WEAKNESS of deviation from ideal mental health: May be CULTURE-BOUND

  • Different elements are not equally applicable across a range of cultures
  • Example: Concept of self-actualisation dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world
  • Link: Difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another