Two Key Studies of Normality vs Abnormality (DP IB Psychology)

Key Study One: Jahoda (1958)

Aim: To determine a specific set of criteria which identify ideal mental health in humans.

Participants: 740 adults who represented workers from a range of occupations, both skilled and unskilled.

Procedure: The participants responded to a survey consisting of 40 items which were designed ultimately to determine what a model of ideal mental health should include.

Results: Jahoda identified six characteristics which she suggested demonstrate ideal mental health in a person:

• 1. A positive attitude towards the self, which involves an individual having self-confidence, self-reliance, and initiative, whilst having a realistic understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses

• 2. Growth, development, and self-actualisation, which could involve an individual progressing in their academic life/career; having the capacity to develop a mature and balanced outlook on life

• 3. Integration, which involves an individual developing a holistic outlook on life; feeling secure within themselves and being able to withstand mental stress

• 4. Autonomy, which involves an individual exercising independence, decision-making and self-determination

• 5. Accurate perception of reality, which involves an individual using objective, unbiased evidence in their appraisal of other people and the world in general (the ability to be empathic is also key to this characteristic

• 6. Environmental mastery, which involves an individual feeling confident and capable when operating within their social roles e.g. as a colleague, as a parent, as a team-member 

Conclusion:  Ideal mental health can be determined via an individual satisfying the six criteria outlined in the model.

Evaluation of Jahoda (1958)

Strengths

• The model provides a clear baseline for determining the characteristics of ideal mental health and, as Jahoda points out, good mental health cannot simply be defined as a lack of poor mental health, thus the model has some validity

• The model has good application for therapeutic settings as it could be used to form a template or checklist to track and identify a client/patient’s progress through their mental health journey

Weaknesses

• It could be argued that to achieve all six of these criteria at the same time is impossible for most people thus the model lacks some reliability as it is unlikely to show consistency over time

• Jahoda’s model is unlikely to be culturally relevant for all people as it assumes an individualistic approach (e.g. self-actualisation)  which means that it lacks external validity

Could Gandhi satisfy all six of Jahoda’s criteria at any given time? Even he might struggle to do so!

Key Study Two: Mojtabai (2011)

Aim: To investigate the idea that individuals with bereavement-related depressive episodes do not have a higher risk of depression overall compared with individuals who have not had depression in their lifetime i.e. simply suffering a bereavement will not lead to future depression in an individual.

Participants:  A community-based sample of participants (who were taking part in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions) from the USA who were tested in two phases (43,093 in phase 1; 34,653 in phase 2). 

Procedure: 

• The participants were part of a retrospective longitudinal study into grieving and depression conducted from 2001- 2002 and from 2004-2005

• The researchers used structured interviews, using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule – DSM-IV version to guide the type of questions asked

• The interview schedule described above was designed as a diagnostic tool used to diagnose mood, anxiety, substance abuse, and other related disorders

• The researchers measured the participants’ demographic characteristics, including their age at the onset of their depression; any history of depression in their family; if they had used mental health services, and any new depressive episodes they experienced during the 3-year follow up period

• Major depressive episodes were defined as having a duration of at least 2 weeks, during which the participant would have experienced 5 or more of the nine DSM-IV symptoms, particularly impairment and/or distress

• The qualitative data collected via interview was translated into quantitative data via a specific scoring system

Results: 

• Participants with bereavement-related, single, brief depressive episodes tended to be older at onset, were more likely to be African-American, and were less likely to have had impairment, anxiety disorders or a previous psychiatric treatment history

• These participants were also less likely than other participants with bereavement-unrelated single, brief depressive episodes to experience fatigue, increased sleep, feelings of worthlessness, and suicidal thoughts

• These participants also had a much lower risk of developing depression during the follow-up period

Conclusion: Depressive symptoms associated with bereavement can be explained by the bereavement itself, they are not signs that a person is prone to depression generally so DSM-5 should exclude bereavement-related depression from the list of depressive episodes requiring treatment.

Evaluation of Motjabai (2011)

Strengths

• The two large sample sizes used in both phase 1 and phase 2 (more than 10,500 participants in the combined total) gives this study good reliability due to the robustness of the quantitative data collected

• The recommendation by Motjabai to challenge the idea that bereavement-related depression is a mental illness is one which could be helpful to those affected by grief and in turn this could lead to more acceptance that grief and its attendant low mood is a natural part of the grieving process 

Weaknesses

• It is possible that some of the participants may have succumbed to social desirability bias when describing their depressive episodes (e.g. by over-playing or under-playing their symptoms depending on what may have seemed more socially acceptable to them) which would impair the validity of the findings

• The findings could - ironically - lead to some bereaved individuals feeling that it is ‘wrong’ to experience bereavement-related depressive episodes in the future and this may result in them under-reporting or hiding their symptoms