failure to function adequately

Cards (9)

  • Failure to function adequately is when someone is unable to cope with the demands of everyday life
  • Rosenhan and Seligman identified 7 abnormal characteristics that indicate symptoms of abnormality
  • a person who is not functioning adequately is unable to maintain basic standards of nutrition or hygiene or they cannot keep a job or relationship
  • A limitation of failure to function adequately is that it is based on subjective judgements
  • There are methods to make judgements more objective such as Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. This allows for a more scientific approach to diagnosing mental disorders
  • however, it is difficult to assess health and say if a person is suffering so diagnosis remains with the psychiatrist
  • None of the criteria alone can be used to define abnormality since bizarre or maladaptive behaviour e.g extreme sports might actually allow a person to function in a given context
  • This is a limitation because this definition risks limiting personal freedom
  • abnormal characteristics:
    • when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules
    • severe personal distress
    • behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others