Deviation from ideal mental health

• Marie Jahoda pointed out that physical illness is often diagnosed by looking for an absence of physical health (Eg. Having the correct body temperature, etc.)

  She stated that mental illness should be treated in the same way

  According to Jahoda’s there are 6 criteria for ‘good’ mental health which allow people to behave competently.
• Eg/ 1.Self-attitudes: having high self-esteem and a strong sense of identity
• Eg/ 2.Self actualisation: developing to your full capabilities (reaching your potential)
• Eg/ 3.Integration: being able to cope with stressful situations
• Eg/ 4.Autonomy: being independent and making personal decisions.
• Eg/ 5.Having an accurate perception of reality
• Eg/ 6.Mastery of the environment: the ability to successfully work, have relationships and adjust to new situations.
• A strength is it is a positive approach to abnormality-Considers what is desirable and looks at positives rather than undesirable, negative behaviour.
• A weakness is the criteria is unrealistic-very few people will attain all of Jahoda’s characteristics, according to this model most people would be abnormal. Some characteristics are also hard to measure.
• A weakness is according to this definition, mental health is the same as physical health.

  Physical health has physical causes, however mental illnesses do not always have physical causes. This questions the validity of diagnosing mental illness in the same way as physical illness.
• Cultural Relativism: ‘The idea that cultural norms and values are culture specific and no-one culture is superior to another culture’
• How does this relate to cultural relativism?

  Jahoda based her criteria of ideal mental health on western cultures

  This means that they are culture-bound and would likely lead to a higher level of abnormality if applied to non-western cultures

  For example self-actualisation is relevant to individualist cultures however may not apply to collectivist cultures who strive for the greater good of the community.
• Cultural Relativism: ‘The idea that cultural norms and values are culture specific and no-one culture is superior to another culture’
• How does this relate to cultural relativism?

  Jahoda based her criteria of ideal mental health on western cultures

  This means that they are culture-bound and would likely lead to a higher level of abnormality if applied to non-western cultures

  For example self-actualisation is relevant to individualist cultures however may not apply to collectivist cultures who strive for the greater good of the community.