Outline of Postive Psychology - Essay Example

OUTLINE I. With the number of types of mental illness, standards use to assess the levels of functioning in human beings was established. A. The diagnostic systems of identifying types of mental illness were formed as a start of curing mental illness. i. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental illness (4th Ed.) has helped medical professionals in identifying and curing mental illness. ii. A disease model stating that any mental illness is a distinct deviation from normality is also used. B. Depression and/or anxiety was identified to be a cause of mental illness. i. Psychological problems are based on normal human experiences that are uncontrolled. ii. Psychological problems are also the ineffective patterns of living. C. Creation of victim mentality cause untoward results in the disease model. i. Psychology viewed people as victims of unconscious drives, innate, needs, families and even the environment. ii. People were then thought to have dysfunctional families because they are depressed. II. The task of positive psychology – classification of human strengths. A. Treat/cure mental disorder not by making diagnostic, treatments and policy decisions but through exhibiting strength, courage, resilience, fortitude and compassion among the patients. B. The next step is exploring positive behavior and positive well being i. First advantage is a renewed sense in identifying human strengths thereby fostering human growth ii. Second advantage is being able to achieve reliable and valid assessment instruments thereby expanding the research into a more comprehensive classification system of humans strengths III. The formulation of classification systems for positive mental health started in 1950s. A. Marie Jahoda initiated the formulation of positive mental health classification system. i. The first systematic cross theoretical exploration of the 20th century ii. She began listing of 3 unacceptable criteria: a. absence of mental illness b. conformity to social norms c. permanent states of being iii. The six criteria for positive mental health established by Jahoda in 1958 a. Attitude towards self addressing self-acceptance, self-confidence and self-reliance b. Growth development and self-actualization which is associated with striving towards goal including realizing potential c. Integrated personality which is the balancing of important aspects of self d. Autonomy which the regulation of behavior from witin and realizing independent behavior e. Perception of reality that is connected with the ability to see accurately the world from the self f. Environmental mastery referring to successful adaptation to situations that may involve demand and expectations B. Carol Ryff attempted to summarize literatures about positive mental health i. A six-dimensional model of psychological well-being is formed a. Self-acceptance that refers to positive self-evaluation, acknowledgement of multiple self aspects and acceptance of negative and positive qualities b. Personal growth involving capacity to grow and developing potential self-knowledge and effectiveness c. Positive relationship with other people d. Autonomy which is being independent, and ability to resist social pressures e. Purpose in life highlighting sense of purpose and sense and direction f. Environmental mastery involving sense of mastery and ability to chose situations and environments ii. These different dimensions of psychological well-being may be important than others at different points of life C. Richard Cones and his modes of fulfillment i. Cones suggested that other ways of approaching positive mental health is through understanding the modes of fulfillment ii. He proposed the five basic modes of fulfillment a. Efficiency focusing on exceptional use of talents b. Creativeness relying on openness to experience, freedom of expression, spontaneity and independence c. Inner harmony which is more on a psychological criteria for a psychological well being d. Relatedness focusing on interpersonal relationships and love and happiness e. Self-transcendence taking into consideration the relationship to God and spirituality iii. Diligence, commitment and persistence will surely mean happiness and the is the ultimate fulfillment D. Keyes and Lopez established the complete mental health i. Both of them agreed that mental health is not really equivalent to the absence of mental illness. ii. They created the four –fold typology of well being. iii. Flourishing, according to these two, are those people who are high on subjective well being iv. Floundering are those who are low and well-being and high on mental illness symptoms v. They suggest that the complete mental health is that which has the combination of the three types of well being along with low mental illness. a. High emotional well being are those people who are happy and satisfied with their lives b. High psychological well being are people who are competent, autonomous and self accepting c. High social well being are people who maintain positive attitude towards their social world IV. Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman developed the classification system for strengths and values A. Cognitive strengths, emotional strength, will strength, relational and civic strength, and coherence personality strength. Read More