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Balanced Conceptualizations of Mental Health and Behavior

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Balanced Conceptualizations of Mental Health and Behavior
During the 1950s, psychology addressed the full spectrum of human behavior through
its scholarship and practice. In 1955, Erich Fromm explored the "sane society;' defining
mental health as "the ability to love and to create" (Fromm, p. 69). During the same
period, social psychologist Marie Jahoda (1958) characterized mental health as the
positive condition that is driven by a person's psychological resources and desires for
personal growth. She described these six characteristics of the mentally healthy person:
1) A personal attitude toward self that includes self-acceptance, self-esteem, and
accuracy of self-perception
2) The pursuit of one's potentials
3) Focused drives that are integrated into one's personality
4) An identity and values that contribute to a sense of autonomy
5) World perceptions that are accurate and not distorted because of subjective
needs
6) Mastery of the environment an~ enjoyment of love, work, and play
Why have the efforts to conceptualize positive mental health and ptimal human
functioning lagged behind the work on mental illness? One explanation is that the
attainment of positive mental health is a passive process, whereas the remediation of
mental illness is an active process that demands more resources. Another explanation
is that the maintenance of mental health does not warrant the same careful attention
(from theorists and practitioners) as does the alleviation of suffering.
Moving Toward Balanced Conceptualizations
We emphasize the need to address the following issues that contribute to less-than-
optimal mental health care:
Abnormal behavior seems to more easily gain the attention of the clinician, and
aspects of normal behavior and healthy functioning

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(i.e., what is working in person's life) may not be considered meaningful in the
diagnostic and treatment process.
Attributions for behavior may overemphasize the internal characteristics of a
person, whereas the environmental influences on behavior are not adequately
addressed.
Weaknesses and negative emotions often are deemed more salient to the
diagnostic and treatment process than are strengths and positive emotions.
Current behavior may not be considered in light of developmental history and
milestones. Specifically, we may not address thoroughly the question, "Is this
person's behavior consistent with expectations for his or her developmental
history and age?"
Behaviors often are interpreted without attention to information about the cultural
contexts that could influence whether the behaviors are considered adaptive or
maladaptive.
By resolving these challenges, we can produce more balanced views of People and
how they change.
Our Fascination with Abnormal Behavior
Three criteria commonly serve as markers of abnormal behavior in a social context.
First, the behavior is atypical or aberrant, which means that it deviates from what is
considered standard or expected. Second, the behavior is considered maladaptive that
is, the behavior does not typically lead to socially sanctioned goals. Third, the behavior
often is accompanied by psychological distress worry, rumination, and uncomfortable
thoughts and feelings.
Our preoccupation with abnormal behaviors may serve positive functions such as
promoting understanding of the world and helping to keep people safe. But this
preoccupation seldom leads to a dear answer to the question, Is that normal?" More
times than not our response to the question is, "It depends." Indeed, as just discussed,
it depends on the context of the behavior.

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Balanced Conceptualizations of Mental Health and Behavior During the 1950s, psychology addressed the full spectrum of human behavior through its scholarship and practice. In 1955, Erich Fromm explored the "sane society;' defining mental health as "the ability to love and to create" (Fromm, p. 69). During the same period, social psychologist Marie Jahoda (1958) characterized mental health as the positive condition that is driven by a person's psychological resources and desires for personal growth. She described these six characteristics of the mentally healthy person: 1) A personal attitude toward self that includes self-acceptance, self-esteem, and accuracy of self-perception 2) The pursuit of one's potentials 3) Focused drives that are integrated into one's personality 4) An identity and values that contribute to a sense of autonomy 5) World perceptions that are accurate and not distorted because of subjective needs 6) Mastery of the environment an~ enjoyment of love, work, and play Why have the efforts to conceptualize positive mental health and ptimal human functioning lagged behind the work on mental illness? One explanation is that the attainment of positive mental health is a passive process, whereas the remediation of mental illness is an active process that demands more resources. Another explanation is that the maintenance of mental health does not warrant the same careful attention (from theorists and practitioners) as does the alleviation of suffering. Moving Tow ...
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