Definitions of abnormality 2

• What is failure to function adequately?

  Not being able to cope with everyday living / tasks (e.g. eating regularly, going to school, washing clothes)
• What does failure to function adequately cause for people around the individual?

  Causes distress and suffering for the individual and the people around them (schizophrenia- individual is ok, those around them are distressed by it)
• When is the judgment of abnormality inappropriate (failure to function adequately)

  If it only distresses others not the individual
• Example of failure to function adequately:

  • WHODAS (world organisation disability assessment) is an assessment of ability to function
  • Individuals rate themselves on a scale of 1-5 = overall score
  • Score = 0 means no disability
  • Score =100 means full disability
  • None(0), mild(1), moderate(2), severe(3), extreme(4)
• What did Rosenhan and Seligman do?

  • when someone isn’t coping they no longer conform to interpersonal rules (e.g. main thing personal space)
  • They experience personal distress and behave in a way that is irrational or dangerous
• What is deviation from ideal mental health?

  An absence of 4 criteria (can be 8 but only need 4 in exam)

  • we are rational and perceive ourselves accurately
  • We self-actualise
  • We have a realistic view of the world
  • We are independent of other people
• What did Jahoda do?

  Physical illness is defined by looking at the absence of signs of physical health. We should do the same for mental illness
• Strength of failure to function adequately

  • Provides a threshold for professional help
  • In any year, 25% of us experience symptoms of a mental disorder to some degree (Mind)
  • Most times we continue with day-to-day life -but when we stop being able to function adequately, people seek /are referred for professional help
  • This means that - the failure to function adequately criteria provides a way to target treatment and services to those who need them most
• Weakness of failure to function adequately :

  • Can lead to discrimination / social control
  • Hard to distinguish between failure to function adequately and a conscious decision to deviate from social norms
  • E.g. people may choose to live off-grid as part of an alternative lifestyle or take part in high-risk leisure activities
  • This means that - people who make unusual choices can be labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice restricted
• Strength of deviation from ideal mental health:

  • The ideal mental health approach is comprehensive
  • Includes a range of criteria for mental health
  • Covers most of the reasons why we might need help with mental health
  • This means that - mental health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals
  • so ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves and others
• Weakness of deviation from ideal mental health:

  • It may be culture-bound
  • Some criteria for are limited to USA / Western Europe
  • e.g. self-actualisation is not recognised in most of the world
  • Even in Western Europe, there are variations in the value placed on independence (high in Germany, low in Italy)
  • This means that - it is very difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another