Definitions in the Field of Mental Health

Statistical infrequency definition

Behaviour that is rare in the population indicates mental disorder

Example of statistical infrequency

Schizophrenia occurs in about 1% of population

How statistical infrequency is measured

Using normal distribution curve

What normal distribution shows

Most people score near the average few at extremes

Example using IQ statistical infrequency

IQ below 70 considered intellectual disability disorder

Strength of statistical infrequency definition

Objective measure based on statistics

Limitation of statistical infrequency definition

Some rare behaviours are desirable not abnormal

Example of desirable rare behaviour

High IQ above 130

Limitation of statistical infrequency definition

Some disorders are common such as depression are not statistically rare

Deviation from social norms definition

Behaviour that violates accepted standards of society

What are social norms

Unwritten rules about acceptable behaviour

2 Limitations deviation from social norms

• Not all behaviour that deviates = mental illness

wearing eccentric clothing doesn’t signify MHI

• Can lead to human rights abuses

drapetomania, hysteria were considered mental illnesses

Examples of ‘mental health illnesses’ that lead to human rights abuses

Drapetomania = slaves who tried to escape

Hysteria = overwhelming stress in women

Failure to function adequately definition

Person unable to cope with everyday demands of life

Examples failure to function adequately

No hygiene, no job, cannot maintain relationships

What scale measures functioning

Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF)

What low GAF score means

Person struggles to cope with everyday life

1 Limitation failure to function adequately

• Not everyone with a MHI struggles to cope with everyday life

Harold Shipman murded 200 people

seen to be able to cope with everyday life

Example functioning despite disorder

Harold Shipman (a doctor with wife and kids)

murdered 200+ patients

Deviation from ideal mental health definition

When someone doesn’t meet a set of criteria for good mental health

Who proposed deviation from ideal mental health

Marie Jahoda

Name all elements in Jahoda’s criteria

SPICER

-Self actualisation

-Positive self esteem

-Independant

-Cope with stress

-Environmental mastery

-Realistic perception of reality

2 Limitations of deviation from ideal mental health

• Too demanding

very few meet all of Jahoda’s criteria all the time

• Eurocentric

‘Independant’ and ‘Self actualisation’ reflects induvidualistic culture

What is self actualisation

achieving full potential

What is realistic perception of reality

no delusions

What is environmental mastery

being able to navigate the world and make good decisions