deviation from ideal mental health

• deviation from ideal mental health proposes that certain criteria are needed for positive mental health, the absence of any would indicate abnormality.
• Jahoda - identified 6 criteria for ideal mental health. 1. positive self attitudes 2. self-actualisation 3. integration (ability to cope with stress) 4. autonomy 5. accurate perception of reality 6. mastery of environment (relationships & work)
• • unrealistic criteria, most people would be considered abnormal, most hard to measure eg. personal growth or environmental mastery
• • positive approach, focuses on positives rather than negatives.
• • cultural relativism, people from non-dominant subcultures may have different lifestyles