lesson 4 deviation from ideal mental health

Question 1

deviation from ideal mental health definition

Answer 1

-by Marie Jahoda
-definition stems from humanist approach which focuses on motivation and self-development, eg Maslow devised ‘hierarchy of needs’ whereby humans seek to have their basic needs met first and then move up to next level
-abnormality is related to the lack of ‘contented existence’, therefore people who deviate from having an ideal or optimal mental health can be classed as abnormal

Question 2

deviation from ideal mental health ao1

Answer 2

-self-actualisation means that humans should strive to reach their full potential, normal people would strive to achieve a series of goals or needs in order to reach self-actualisation, abnormality could occur if a person fails to achieve their goals or meet the necessary criteria
-Jahoda argued that the concepts of abnormality and normality are not very useful as they are too vague and general, instead focused on 6 criteria needed in order for a person to have positive mental health and be normal

Question 3

Jahoda’s six criteria

Answer 3

Autonomy- the degree to which an individual is independent social influences and can make their own decisions
Perception of reality- prime factor whereby mentally healthy people do not distort their perception of reality, they are not too optimistic or pessimistic, show signs of empathy and social sensitivity to others
Personal growth- the extent to which an individuals growth, development or self-actualisation, becoming the type of person you aim to be
Integration- integrates the criteria of self-attitude and personal growth together, person must be able to cope well with stressful situations and anxiety provoking situations
Environmental mastery- the extent to which an individual is successful and well adapted, includes ability to love, adequacy to love, at work and play, good interpersonal relations, efficient problem solving and capacity for judgement
Self-attitudes- high self-esteem and a strong sense of identity

Question 4

deviation from ideal mental health ao3

Answer 4

-viewed as positive and productive, focuses on ideal or optimal criteria that we should all aim to strive for in order to be psychologically healthy, can be seen as therapeutic goal that humans should strive for and aim to achieve, self-actualisation is a positive trait that every human should try to accomplish
-highlights and targets areas of dysfunction that the patient can work on and improve in their life, can be very important when treating different types of disorders
-six criteria based on abstract concepts and ideals and are difficult to define and measure, not scientific and objective
-very few people can actually achieve all six criteria at one time, therefore many people would be classed as abnormal, arguable normal to abnormal, to sustain and meet all 6 criteria at any one time could be deemed as impossible or very difficult to meet