Definitions of abnormality - Failure To Function Aqequately And Deviation From Ideal Mental Health

Question 1

What is failure to function adequately?

Answer 1

• Occurs when someone is unable to cope with the ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
• This includes the inability to maintain basic hygiene and nutrition, and the inability to go to work or maintain relationships with others.

Question 2

How do you identify the failure to function adequately?

Answer 2

• Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) poposed the signs tht can be used to determin whether someone is not coping. These include:

1. When a person no9 longer conforms to the stadrdinterpersonal rules (maintaining eye cotact and respecting personal space.
2. When a person experiences severe personal distress.
3. When a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others.

Question 3

What is an example of failure to function adequately?

Answer 3

Intellectual disability disorder:

• Before a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder is made, an individual must also be failing to function adequately before a diagnosis would be given.

Question 4

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 4

• Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health.

Question 5

What does ideal mental health look like?

Answer 5

Jahoda (1958) suggested that we are in good mental health if we meet the following criteria:

1. We have no symptoms or distress
2. We are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
3. We self-actualise
4. We can cope with stress
5. We have a realistic view of the world
6. We have good self-esteem and lack guilt
7. We are independent of other people.
8. We can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure

Question 6

What is a strength of failure to function adequately?

Answer 6

Patient’s perspective:

• A strength is that it does not attempt to include the subjective experience of the individual.
• It may not be an entirely satisfactory approach because it is difficult to assess distress, but it does acknowledge that the experience of the patient is important.
• This definition captures the experience of many of the people who need help. This suggests that failure to function adequately is a useful criterion for assessing abnormality.

Question 7

What is a weakness of failure to function adequately?

Answer 7

Subjective judgements:

• When deciding whether someone is failing to function adequately, someone has to judge whether a patient is distressed or distressing.
• There are methods for making such judgements as objective as possible, however, the principle remains that someone (psychiatrist) has the right to make this judgement.

Question 8

What is a strength for deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 8

It is a comprehensive definition:

• It covers a broad range of criteria for mental health.
• It covers most of the reasons someone would seek help from mental health services or be referred for help.
• The sheer range of factors discussed in relation to Jahoda’s ideal mental health makes it a good tool for thinking about mental health.

Question 9

What is a weakness of deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 9

Unrealistically high standards for mental health:

• Very few of us attain all Jahoda’s criteria for mental health, and probably none of us achieve all of them at the same time or keep them up for very long.

-Therefore this approach would see pretty much all of us as abnormal.