Definitions of abnormality 2

• What is failure to function adequately

  • the inability to cope with everyday living and the demands of everyday life
  • e.g. Not being able to maintain basic standard of nutrition or hygiene

  rosenhan and Seligman (1989) proposed further signs of failure to cope - when someone is not coping:

  • they no longer conform to interpersonal rules e.g. maintaining personal space
  • they experience severe personal distress
  • they behave in a way that is irrational or dangerous
• given an example of failure to function adequately

  intellectual disability disorder

  • having a low IQ is a statistical infrequency but diagnosis would not be made on this basis alone
  • there would have to be clear signs that the person was not able to cope with the demands of everyday living
  • so intellectual disability disorder is an example of failure to function adequately
• what is deviation from ideal mental health

  • looking at what makes someone ‘normal’ and psychologically healthy - then identify anyone who deviated from this
  • Jahoda (1958) listed 8 criteria for ideal mental health
  • there is an inevitable overlap between definitions - someone’s inability to keep a job may be a sign of their filiare to cope with the pressures of work (failure to function), or as a deviation from the ideal of successfully working
• what is jahodas 1958 list of criteria for ideal mental health

  1. we have no symptoms of distress
  2. we are rational and perceive ourselves accuraely
  3. we self acualise
  4. we can cope with stress
  5. we have a realistic view of the world
  6. we have good self esteem and lack guilt
  7. we are independent of other people
  8. we can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
• one strength of failure to function adequately is a threshold for professional help

  in any given year 25% of us experience symptoms of mental disorder to some degree (Mind). most of the time we press on, but when we cease to function adequately people seek or are referred for professional help. this means that the failure to function criterion provides a way to target treatment and services to those who need them most
• one limitation of failure to function is that it can lead to discrimination/ social control


  its hard to distinguish between failure to function and a conscious decision to deviate from social norms. for example, people may choose to live off grid as part of an alternative lifestyle choice 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 is restricted
• one limitation of failure to function is that it can be normal and is not always an abnormality


  in some circumstances most of us cant cope e.g. bereavement. its unfair to give someone a label for reacting normally to difficult circumstances. on the other hand, failure to function is real regardless of the circumstances. a person may need professional help to adjust to bereavement. this means its hard to know when to base a judgement of abnormality on failure to function
• one strength of the ideal mental health approach is being comprehensive


  ideal mental health includes a range of criteria for mental health. it 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 e.g. psychiatrist or CBT therapist. therefore ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves and others
• one limitation of deviation from ideal mental health is the definition may be cultural bound 


  some criteria for ideal mental health are limited to the US and Europe e.g. self actualisation is not recognised in most of the world. even in Europe there are variations in the value places on interdependence (high in Germany, low in Italy). this means that its difficult to apply to concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another
• one limitation of deviation from ideal mental health is that it holds extremely high standards 


  few of us attain all Jahodas criteria for mental health, and none of us maintain them all for long. an impossible set of standards can be disheartening. on the other hand, having such a comprehensive criteria for mental health might be of value to someone waning to improve their mental health. this means that a set of comprehensive criteria for ideal mental health may be helpful for some but not others