Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Question 1

Who put together the first notion of ideal mental health and when?

Answer 1

Mary Jahoda (1958)

Question 2

What is Deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 2

> Looks at the positives rather than the negatives: mental health as opposed to mental illness

> We define physical illness by looking at what is different from ideal physical health (e.g. correct temperature, blood pressure) so why not do the same for mental illness

> Jahoda identified 6 criteria for optimal living – she believed it promoted psychological health and wellbeing

> Anyone who lacked these would be vulnerable to mental disorder

Question 3

What were Jahoda’s 6 criteria?

P-ink
A-ngry
P-igs
R-ampage
A-nti
S-ocially

Answer 3

Personal Autonomy

Accurate perception of reality

Positive Attitudes towards the self

Resistance to stress

Adapting to and mastering the environment

Self-actualisation of one’s potentiall

Question 4

Jahoda’s criteria, what is…

Personal Autonomy ?

Answer 4

reliant on your own inner resources and can remain so against hard knocks, frustration and deprivation. Not dependant on others but self-contained; ‘ability to make our own decisions based on what is right for ourselves, rather than to satisfy others’

Question 5

Jahoda’s criteria, what is…

Accurate perception of reality ?

Answer 5

seeing oneself and the world in realistic terms – as opposed to ‘rose-tinted’ or pessimism. Continual distortion of reality = abnormal

Question 6

Jahoda’s criteria, what is…

Positive attitudes towards the self ?

Answer 6

Positive self-concept; (healthy attitude, self-confidence, acceptance)

Question 7

Jahoda’s criteria, what is…

Resistance to stress ?

Answer 7

the ability to tolerate anxiety without disintegration.

• Mentally healthy person = coping strategies
• Vulnerable to stress = most likely to develop psychological problems

Question 8

Jahoda’s criteria, what is…

Adapting to and mastering the environment ?

Answer 8

being competent in all areas of life: work/relationships/ leisure. Flexibility and Adaptability

Question 9

Jahoda’s criteria, what is…

Self-actualisation of one’s potential

Answer 9

Understanding we all have potential; constant strive to achieve
– Mental health problems can occur when we are prevented from fulfilling our potential

Question 10

What are the limitations of ‘Deviation from Ideal Mental Health’

Answer 10

Unrealistic

Benefits of stress

Too simplistic

Cultural relativism

Lacking validity: mental disorders have changed over time

Question 11

Explain Unrealistic

as a limitation of ‘Deviation from ideal Mental Health’

Answer 11

Who can actually achieve all these criteria? Most people are abnormal to some extent. How many criteria must be lacking before a person would be judged abnormal. The definition lacks validity – can’t be measured

Question 12

Explain Benefits of stress

as a limitation of ‘Deviation from ideal Mental Health’

Answer 12

Benefits of stress – some people work more efficiently in moderately stressful situations

Question 13

Explain Too simplistic

as a limitation of ‘Deviation from ideal Mental Health’

Answer 13

Is mental health actually the same as physical health? Many mental illnesses do not have physical signs e.g. high temperature = illness

Question 14

Explain Cultural relativism

as a limitation of ‘Deviation from ideal Mental Health’

Answer 14

self-actualisation is a good thing in an individualist culture but not in a collectivist culture

Question 15

Explain ‘Lacking validity: mental disorders have changed over time’
as a limitation of ‘Deviation from ideal Mental Health’

Answer 15

What was ideal health in the 13th Century may not be now in the 21st Century

Question 16

Who conducted the key study of the pseudo patients and when? (relates to deviation from ideal mental health)

Answer 16

Rosenhan Study (1973)

Question 17

The Rosenhan Study (1973) - ‘Pseudo Patients’

relates to deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 17

Procedure:

• 8 psychologically healthy people pretended to be psychiatric patients (pseudo patients)
• They sought admission to a variety of different hospitals, complaining of just ONE symptom- A voice in their head saying ‘thud’
• Other than the voice they were completely honest about their psychological state
• Once admitted into hospital, each person behaved as they normally would, said they were fine and that they were no longer experiencing any symptoms

Findings:

• None of the patients were expected of being imposters
• 7 were diagnosed with schizophrenia and were admitted to hospital, even though they said they were fine
• When they were discharged they were diagnosed with schizophrenia in remission – a label that would remain on their medical record

Conclusions

• The study raised a number of issues with the way in which psychiatrists diagnosed mental disorders
• As a result changes were made to the ways in which mental disorders were diagnosed
• One change in particular was the development of a computer system (Composite International Diagnostic Interview) CIDI
• This was an attempt to improve the validity and reliability of diagnosis