Lesson 3: Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Question 1

Who created the criteria of ideal mental health?

Answer 1

Jahoda (1958)

Question 2

What are the 6 criteria?

Answer 2

Positive Attitudes Towards Oneself
Accurate Perception of Reality
Autonomy
Resistance to Stress
Environmental Mastery
Self-actualisation

Question 3

Limitations?

Answer 3

+ Comprehensive criteria for mental health that is based on similar models for physical health
+ This is a positive, holistic approach to diagnosis
- Demanding and unrealistic
- Vague and difficult to measure and therefore subjective
- Cultural bias - collectivist cultures (India, Japan) find autonomy undesirable, while individualistic cultures (USA, Germany) don’t