Definitions of abnormality (2)
Key words –
- Failure to function adequately: Occurs when someone is unable to cope
with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
Evaluation –
- Deviation from ideal mental health: Occurs when someone does not Represents a threshold for help:
meet a set of criteria for good mental health. One strength of the failure to function criterion is that it represents a sensibl
us have symptoms of mental disorder to some degree at some time. In fact,
people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
Failure to function adequately – symptoms. It tends to be at the point that we cease to function adequately t
A person may cross the line between 'normal and 'abnormal' at the point referred for help by others. This criterion means that treatment and services
when they can no longer cope with the demands of everyday life - described
as a failure to function adequately. We might decide that someone is not Discrimination and social control –
functioning adequately when they are unable to maintain basic standards of One limitation of failure to function is that it is easy to label non-standard life
nutrition and hygiene. We might also consider that they are no longer say when someone is really failing to function and when they have simply ch
functioning adequately if they cannot hold down a job or maintain the table on the right. Not having a job or permanent address might seem lik
relationships with people around them. However, people with alternative lifestyles choose to live 'off-grid. Similarly,
spiritual practices could be classed, unreasonably, as irrational, and perhaps
When is someone failing to function adequately? choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice m
David Rosenhan and Martin Seligman (1989) have proposed some additional
signs that can be used to determine when someone is not coping. These Failure to function may not be abnormal –
include: There are some circumstances in which most of us fail to cope for a time e.g.
◦ When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, for may cause them future problems just because they react to difficult circums
example maintaining eye contact and respecting personal space. real just because the cause is clear. Also, some people need professional hel
◦ When a person experiences severe personal distress.
When a person's behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or A comprehensive definition –
others. One strength of the ideal mental health criterion is that it is highly comprehe
Deviation from ideal mental health – Jahoda's concept of ideal mental health' includes a range of criteria for distin
A very different way to look at normality and abnormality is to ignore the issue covers most of the reasons why we might seek (or be referred for) help with
of what makes someone abnormal but instead think about what makes health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who migh
anyone 'normal" In other words we consider deviation from ideal mental psychiatrist might focus on symptoms whereas a humanistic counsellor migh
health. Once we have a picture of how we should be psychologically healthy ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselv
then we can begin to identify who deviates from this ideal. of professionals.
What does ideal mental health look like?
Marie Jahoda (1958) suggested that we are in good mental health if we meet May be culture-bound –
Key words –
- Failure to function adequately: Occurs when someone is unable to cope
with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
Evaluation –
- Deviation from ideal mental health: Occurs when someone does not Represents a threshold for help:
meet a set of criteria for good mental health. One strength of the failure to function criterion is that it represents a sensibl
us have symptoms of mental disorder to some degree at some time. In fact,
people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
Failure to function adequately – symptoms. It tends to be at the point that we cease to function adequately t
A person may cross the line between 'normal and 'abnormal' at the point referred for help by others. This criterion means that treatment and services
when they can no longer cope with the demands of everyday life - described
as a failure to function adequately. We might decide that someone is not Discrimination and social control –
functioning adequately when they are unable to maintain basic standards of One limitation of failure to function is that it is easy to label non-standard life
nutrition and hygiene. We might also consider that they are no longer say when someone is really failing to function and when they have simply ch
functioning adequately if they cannot hold down a job or maintain the table on the right. Not having a job or permanent address might seem lik
relationships with people around them. However, people with alternative lifestyles choose to live 'off-grid. Similarly,
spiritual practices could be classed, unreasonably, as irrational, and perhaps
When is someone failing to function adequately? choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice m
David Rosenhan and Martin Seligman (1989) have proposed some additional
signs that can be used to determine when someone is not coping. These Failure to function may not be abnormal –
include: There are some circumstances in which most of us fail to cope for a time e.g.
◦ When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, for may cause them future problems just because they react to difficult circums
example maintaining eye contact and respecting personal space. real just because the cause is clear. Also, some people need professional hel
◦ When a person experiences severe personal distress.
When a person's behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or A comprehensive definition –
others. One strength of the ideal mental health criterion is that it is highly comprehe
Deviation from ideal mental health – Jahoda's concept of ideal mental health' includes a range of criteria for distin
A very different way to look at normality and abnormality is to ignore the issue covers most of the reasons why we might seek (or be referred for) help with
of what makes someone abnormal but instead think about what makes health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who migh
anyone 'normal" In other words we consider deviation from ideal mental psychiatrist might focus on symptoms whereas a humanistic counsellor migh
health. Once we have a picture of how we should be psychologically healthy ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselv
then we can begin to identify who deviates from this ideal. of professionals.
What does ideal mental health look like?
Marie Jahoda (1958) suggested that we are in good mental health if we meet May be culture-bound –
