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Essay Available:
Pages:
1 page/≈275 words
Sources:
2 Sources
Style:
APA
Subject:
Psychology
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Mental Illness Perspectives

Essay Instructions:

Exploring Mental Illness Perspectives
Major theoretical perspectives center around defining dysfunction that occurs leading to mental illness and then seeking to "fix" the dysfunction, referred to as a disease model. Positive psychology takes an alternative approach, which looks at treating mental illness by focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses. Instead of fixing what is wrong, positive psychology focuses on tapping into and utilizing human strengths like courage, optimism, happiness, hope, and resilience to promote change. Martin Seligman, a leader in the positive psychology field, notes, "The aim of positive psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life."
Read:
Woolston, C. (2020, December 31). Positive psychology: A new approach to mental health. Health Day. https://consumer(dot)healthday(dot)com/encyclopedia/holistic-medicine-25/holistic-medicine-news-383/positive-psychology-a-new-approach-to-mental-health-648414.html
Identify at least one advantage and one disadvantage of approaching mental illness from a disease model.
Identify at least one advantage and disadvantage of approaching mental illness from a positive psychology mindset.
Discuss which approach your own viewpoints most align with in terms of approaching mental illness. Provide your reasoning.
What are some positive psychology techniques that you could use to create a life that promotes psychological happiness and healthiness?

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Discussion: Abnormal Psychology
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Mental Illness Perspectives
Approaching mental illness from a disease model provides a clear framework for diagnosis and treatment. As Wright et al. (2019) note, the approach allows for identifying specific symptoms and developing evidence-based treatments to address those symptoms. However, the disease model can lead to a narrow focus on fixing what is wrong rather than building on what is right. This could be a recipe for neglect of the positive aspects of a person's life and an overemphasis on their weaknesses.
A positive mindset towards mental illness could be beneficial because it focuses on building and utilizing a person's strengths to promote change. Such emphasis leads to a more holistic approach to treatment, addressing the whole person rather than just their symptoms (Woolston, 2022). Nonetheless, the approach may be inadequate as it solely stresses the fundamental causes of mental illness. Its minimal effectiveness could be bad news for people with severe mental ailments, especially those that require more intensive interventions.
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