Defining Mental Health (OCR GCSE Psychology): Revision Note

Defining mental health is complex because it is subjective

• Mental health depends on:

  • personal experience

  • social context

  • cultural norms

What is considered 'healthy' or 'abnormal' can vary between individuals and societies

This means that mental health cannot be judged purely by fixed criteria

Marie Jahoda proposed that good mental health represents an ideal state of psychological well-being, which few people achieve completely

She identified six key characteristics of a mentally healthy person:

• High self-esteem — confidence in one’s own worth and abilities

• Personal growth and self-actualisation — fulfilling one’s potential and continuing to develop

• Integration — being able to cope effectively with stress

• Autonomy — independence and self-regulation

• Accurate perception of reality — seeing the world objectively and realistically

• Mastery of the environment — functioning effectively in work, relationships, and everyday life

While this definition provides a clear framework, it sets a very high standard that may be unrealistic for daily life

Most people are unlikely to display all six criteria all the time, so some psychologists argue that Jahoda’s model is idealistic rather than practical

Many psychologists now prefer to define mental health using the mental health continuum

This is a model that views mental health as a spectrum, rather than as two fixed categories of 'healthy' or 'ill'

• People move along this continuum between well-being and illness, depending on their circumstances and ability to cope

• E.g. someone may be 'reacting' to stress and need social support, but would not be considered mentally ill

  • If stress increases and coping ability decreases, the person may move from 'injured' to 'ill', potentially requiring professional help

This approach recognises that mental health can fluctuate over time and that everyone experiences periods of better or poorer mental health at different stages of life

It allows for a more flexible and realistic understanding of mental well-being

Prevalence refers to the number of people experiencing a mental health problem at a given point in time

Current statistics show the following about mental health in the UK and globally:

• Around 1 in 4 British adults has been diagnosed with a mental health problem in the past year

• 1 in 10 children aged 5–16 has a clinically diagnosed mental health disorder

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about 450 million people worldwide suffer from some form of mental health problem

The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) is conducted approximately every seven years

• It measures the number of adults in England experiencing different types of common mental health conditions (CMHCs)

The most recent APMS (March 2023 – July 2024) reported the following prevalence rates, shown below

• These findings show that anxiety-related disorders, unspecified CMHCs and depression remain the most prevalent mental health problems in England

According to the 2023/4 APMS:

• Gender:

  • Women were significantly more likely than men to have a CMHC (24.2% vs 15.4%)

  • Women also reported nearly twice the rate of GAD compared to men (8.9% vs 5.7%)

  Age:

  • Younger adults (16–64 years) were more likely to experience a CMHC than older adults (75+ years)

  • The prevalence of CMHCs in 16–24-year-olds has risen sharply — from 14.6% in 2000 to 25.8% in 2023/4, indicating growing mental health pressures among young people

  Region:

  • The highest rates of CMHCs were recorded in the North East of England and East Midlands, while the South East and South West showed the lowest rates

The APMS findings highlight that mental health problems are common and increasing, particularly among young adults and women

Recognising these demographic patterns helps health services and policymakers target support, reduce stigma, and promote positive mental well-being across different groups