Failure to Function Adequately

• The failure to function adequately definition of abnormality was proposed by Rosenhan and Seligman (1989).
• This occurs when the patient does not obey social and interpersonal rules, are in distress or are distressing, and their behaviour has become dangerous.
• STRENGTH

  • It takes into account the patient’s perspective, and so the final diagnosis will be comprised of the patient’s (subjective) self-reported symptoms and the psychiatrist’s objective opinion.
• The subjectivity and objectivity needed for a diagnosis may lead to more accurate diagnoses of mental health disorders because such diagnoses are not constrained by statistical limits, as is the case with statistical infrequency.
• WEAKNESS

  • It may lead to the labelling of some patients as ‘strange’ or ‘crazy’, which does little to challenge traditional negative stereotypes
  • Not everyone with a mental health disorder requires a diagnosis, especially if they have a high quality of life and their illness has little impact upon themselves or others.
  • Instead, such labelling could lead to discrimination or prejudice faced against them by employers and acquaintances.
• It suggests that if a person’s current mental state is preventing them from leading a ‘normal’ life, alongside the associated normal levels of motivation and obedience to social norms, then such individuals may be considered as abnormal.