Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

• This definition came about because there was such disagreement about what abnormality actually is and there was a need to switch perspectives on what it means to be normal.
• Marie Jahoda (1958) proposed a new way to define abnormal behaviour. She suggests 6 criteria that a person must meet in order to be deemed ‘normal’ and to have ideal mental health.
• JAHODA (1958)

  • Positive attitude towards self
  • Accurate perception of reality
  • Self actualisation (an individual should be able to visualise and reach their potential)
  • Personal Autonomy (independence of thought and behaviour)
  • Resistance to stress
  • Environmental Mastery (adaption to different situations)
• One limitation of ideal mental health is that it is too subjective. This is because whether people meet the criteria or not is dependent on interpretation, rather than clear cut off points.
• One strength of ideal mental health is that it could be helpful for supporting a person’s recovery. This is because, if the specific criteria that is the concern can be identified, then the person can be supported to make improvements of overall mental health.
• One strength of ideal mental health is that it focuses on healthy behaviour rather than unhealthy. This is because it focuses on how people can strive to become normal, rather than focusing on problems and maladaptive behaviours.
• One criticism of Jahoda’s definition is that it is impossible to achieve. Because so many of the behaviours require perfection, pretty much everyone in the population would be deemed abnormal. As a result, it is ideal, but it isn’t nearly feasible.
• The DSM-V is an example of a diagnostic manual used by clinicians to diagnose psychological disorders. It contains descriptions of symptoms and signs associated with various conditions as well as guidelines for diagnosis.