failure to function adequately

• the failure to function adequately definition focuses on how well a person is functioning in their day to day life, can they do normal things they'd be expected to do?
• if a person struggles with day to day tasks for a sustained period of time, its a good indication that they are sufferring from mental health issues and are abnormal
• to asses functioning according to the failure to function adequately definition, you can use the GAF scale [the global assessment of functioning scale] this is held within the DSM, a manual used by doctors to diagnose mental disorders
• the GAF scale goes from 0 [ inadequate functioning ] - 100 [ superior functioning ]. it has descriptions for each variable of ten, getting worse as the number gets lower
• Rosenhan and Seligman


  7 characteristics that are signs that someone isn't functioning:

  -> suffering

  themselves, or inflict suffering

  -> irrational

  behaviour defies logical sense

  -> observer discomfort

  people around are uncomfy

  -> vividness

  others find the behaviour odd

  -> violation of moral codes

  not behaving in lines with social norms

  -> unpredictability

  behaviour is unexpected
• the more of the 7 characteristics displayed from rosenham and seligman, the less functional you are and the more abnormal you are
• evaluation of failure to function:

  + matches sufferers perceptions as most people seeking clinical help believe that they are suffering from psychological problems that interfere with the ability to function properly

  + assesses degree of abnormality as the GAF is scored on a continuous scale, it allows clinicians to see the degree an individual is abnormal

  + observable behaviour - it allows judgement by others of whether individuals are functioning properly

  + checklist - definition provides a practical checklist individuals can use

  + personal perspective - perception of sufferer
• evaluate the failure to function adequately:

  - abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction - some people dont display features of abnormality e.g. psychopath harold shipman killed patients but didn't show features of dysfunction

  - subjective nature of the features of dysfunction - although GAF measures level of functioning, it doesn't consider behaviour from an individuals perspective, what might be normal behaviour for one is abnormal for another
• evaluate the failure to function adequately

  - normal abnormality - there are times in peoples lives when it is normal to suffer distress, like when a loved one passes away. the definition doesn't consider that grieving is a healthy to overcome loss

  - distress to others - behaviour may cause distress to other people and be regarded as dysfunctional, while the person in question feels no distress.

  - personally rewarding abnormality - an individuals apparently dysfunctional behaviour may actually be rewarding e.g. a persons eating disorder may get them affection and attention
• evaluate the failure to function adequately definiton:

  - cultural differences - what is considered normal functioning varies from culture to culture and so abnormal functioning of one culture should not be used to judge peoples behaviour from other cultures and subcultures