Psychology - clinical & mental health

4 main definitions in the field of mental health 

1) deviation from social/cultural norms 

2) failure to function adequately 

3) deviation from ideal mental health

4) statistical frequency 

deviation from social/ cultural norms

we notice those whose behaviour is a deviation from social norm. their behaviour or thinking violates the unwritten rules. However these norms differ generation to generation.

AO3 deviation from social/ cultural norms

strength: it is useful in psychiatry

weakness: hindsight bias/ violation of human rights

failure to function adequately 

• a person is considered mentally unwell if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life 

• we consider a person to have crossed the line between mentally healthy and unhealthy if they cannot maintain basic standards of hygiene and nutrition or hold down a job or maintain a relationship. 

• david rosenhan and martin seligman (1989) have proposed some signs that can be used to determine when someone is not copying

• When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, for example respecting personal space

  When a person experiences severe personal distress

  When a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others

AO3 Failure to function adequately

AO3 strength: Considers the subjective personal experience

AO3 weakness: Individual differences

Deviation from ideal mental health

• instead of what makes someone mentally healthy but think of what makes someone mentally healthy

• deviation from ideal mental health therefore occurs when someone does not meet the criteria from good mental health as described by Marie Jahoda

AO3 deviation from ideal mental health 

strength; comprehensive 

weakness: unrealistic criteria

or culture bound 

statistical infrequency

• according to the statistical infrequency defintion, a behaviour is seen as unhealthy if its statistically uncommon within a population or not seen very often

• healthy behaviours are relatively common or “usually“

• therfore unhealthy os determined by looking at the distribution of a particular behaviour

AO3 statistical frequency

weakness - misdiagnosis / labelling

strength - real-life application