Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Outline Deviation from ideal Mental Health

When someone does not meet a set of criteria for 'good mental health'

What criteria did Jahoda (1958) propose about ideal mental health

Jahoda suggested 6 criteria that a person must meet in order to be deemed 'normal' and to have ideal mental health.

Outline a criteria that Jahoda proposed about ideal mental health (1/6)

Positive attitudes towards the self:
-This is linked to an individual's self esteem and beliefs about themselves.
-For ideal mental health, the individual should feel happy with themselves and have a positive attitude about who they are.

Outline a criteria that Jahoda proposed about ideal mental health (2/6)

Self Actualisation:
- This is linked to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, of the humanistic approach.
- Refers to a person's ability to be content with themselves.
For ideal Mental Health, an individual should be able to visualise and reach their potential.
- E.g Individuals with: Depression & Schizophrenia

Outline a criteria that Jahoda proposed about ideal mental health (3/6)

Personal Autonomy:
- This refers to having independence of thought and behaviour, and being able to make your own decisions and look after yourself.
- For ideal Mental Health, an individual should not be dependent on others.
- E.g Individuals with: Depression, OCD & Learning difficulties

Outline a criteria that Jahoda proposed about ideal mental health (4/6)

Resistance to Stress:
- This refers to the tolerance for stress of an individual, and their ability to cope with stressful situations
- For ideal Mental Health, an individual should be able to handle stressful situations competently without feeling distressed.
- E.g Individuals with: OCD, Anxiety & Aggression

Outline a criteria that Jahoda proposed about ideal mental health (5/6)

Environmental Mastery:
- This refers to a person's ability to adapt to change, and to adapt to new situations as they arise, without stress.
- For ideal Mental Health, an individual should be able to change their behaviours and attitudes when a change in society or daily life occurs.
- E.g Individuals with: OCD & Autism

Outline a criteria that Jahoda proposed about ideal mental health (6/6)

Accurate perception of reality:
- This refers to the way a person sees their world and environment.
- For ideal Mental Health, an individual should interpret the world and environment similarly to others and not display distorted thinking such as delusions or hallucinations.
- E.g Individuals with: OCD & Schizophrenia

Weakness - Criteria of Ideal mental health by Jahoda is near impossible to achieve.

E.g: a very small percentage of the population will attain all 6 criteria for Ideal mental health, and even fewer will have all 6 achieved at the same or for prolonged periods of time.

Exp: Means that the majority of the population using these definitions would be considered abnormal, which is not valid.

Weakness - Jahoda's criteria is culture bound

- E.g: Emphasis on personal achievement in the concept of self- actualisation would be considered self-indulgent in much of the world because the emphasis is on the individual rather than a whole family/community.

- Exp: Non-western cultures cannot relate to the criteria outlined due to this, meaning the classification cannot be generalised internationally.

Strength - Jahoda's criteria is highly comprehensive

E.g: Jahoda's concept of ideal mental health' includes a range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from mental disorder. This means that an individual's mental health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who take different views e.g. a medically-trained psychiatrist might focus on symptoms whereas a humanistic counsellor might be more interested in self-actualisation.

Exp: This matters because it means that ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves and others and discuss with a range of professionals.