DIMH Flashcards
It is a positive approach to viewing abnormality
– A strength of the DIMH definition is that it offers an alternative view on mental disorders by focusing on the positives rather than the
negatives and focuses on what is desirable rather than what is undesirable. Even though Jahoda’s ideas were never really taken up by mental health professionals, the ideas have had some influence and are in accord with the positive psychology movement from the
humanistic approach in Psychology. Additionally, the DIMH definition covers a broad range of criteria for mental health. In fact, it probably 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 make it a good tool for thinking about
mental health.
It sets an unrealistically high standard for mental health –
limitation of deviation from
ideal mental health is that it is very difficult for most people to meet all of the criteria set down by Jahoda. As a result, under this definition, most of us would be classed as abnormal as we would fail at least one criterion at some point. For example, most individuals are usually resistant to stress, but there are times where they may be overwhelmed, such as by experiencing a major life event. This suggests that the conditions for ideal mental health are too stringent. It might be more useful to consider these characteristics as things we should be striving for rather than things that we must have achieved.
