Failure to Function Adequately (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note

Failure to function adequately

• Failure to function adequately (FFA) is a definition in the field of mental health that refers to the point at which someone is unable to continue their daily routine, or cope with everyday life

• Coping with everyday life (a characteristic of good mental health) means being able to manage daily tasks and take care of oneself in terms of:

  • good personal hygiene

  • regular eating habits

  • attending work or school

  • socialising with others 

• Individuals who experience FFA may struggle to cope with everyday tasks such as:

  • showering frequently

  • completing household chores

  • paying bills and other financial commitments

• Individuals who experience FFA are likely to have increased absences from work, which in turn may result in:

  • a reduction in income

  • job loss

  • lack of contact with colleagues 

• FFA can have damaging effects on relationships, for example:

  • increased conflict with friends and family as a result of an individual's increasingly erratic, disturbing behaviour

  • work colleagues may distance themselves from the person who is experiencing FFA

• Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) identified the distinct signs that indicate FFA, including:

  • severe personal distress

  • behaviour which 'stands out' or seems to go against social/cultural norms

  • behaving irrationally

  • harm that is self-inflicted or directed at others

Evaluation of failure to function adequately

Strengths

• This definition provides clear guidelines for the classification and diagnosis of a mental health disorder as it is focused on observable signs that an individual is not coping, e.g., lack of hygiene, clear behavioural distress signals

  • These observable signs allow for the individual to receive help

• Checklists such as those provided by Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) can be used to assess the degree of FFA, which increases the reliability and objectivity of the measure 

Limitations

• FFA is an overly subjective measure, as one person’s lack of hygiene may be another person’s eco-friendly refusal to use deodorant which means that the FFA measure may lack validity

• Some behaviours may appear to have the characteristics of FFA but in fact are simply expressions of personal choice e.g., swimming with sharks may put a person’s life in some danger but it would be difficult to argue that they are failing to function based on this criterion alone