deviation from ideal mental health

• deviation from ideal mental health occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health, which is when a person feels a state of contentment and fulfilment with themselves
•  Jahoda (1958) identified 6 behaviours people should possess for ideal mental health
• Jahoda believed if a person did not show one of these behaviours they could be considered abnormal
• examples of Jahoda's criteria for ideal mental health:

  • self-actualisation
  • accurate perception of reality
  • ability to adapt to environments
• A limitation of ideal mental health is that its criteria is culture-bound
• Some of the classifications are specific to western cultures, where there is an emphasis on the concept of self and personal achievement. This would be considered self-indulgent in many collectivist cultures like China because the emphasis is so much on the individual rather than the family/community
• Because the criteria are culture-bound, the definition cannot be generalised to other countries and cultures
• the characteristics proposed by Jahoda are so demanding that most people would be unable to meet them and therefore can be considered abnormal
•  Jahoda's criteria can be criticised as an unrealistic measure of mental health