Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Search

Refine search

Refine search

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

1 results

  • Chapter 8 - Mental Health and ‘Be Happy’ Psychology

  • from Part II - Rethinking Behavior in the Larger World
  • Fathali M. Moghaddam, Georgetown University, Washington DC
  • Book:
    How Psychologists Failed
    Published online:
    27 October 2022
    Print publication:
    03 November 2022, pp 105-118

  • Summary

    The causal-reductionist model has resulted in a classification system and set of treatments for mental health that assumes people are self-contained individuals, operating independent of context. Despite the good efforts of community psychology and a number of progressive therapists, as well as the historic meaage of the anti-psychiatry movement, the powerful role of social class and particularly poverty on mental health is disregarded. This is epitomized by the positive psychology movement, the focus on individual happiness (independent of context), and the development of a 'happiness index' which regards progress as being independent of GDP and other material measures. In essence, 'positive thinking' and 'be happy psychology' is proposed as a solution. But even positive psychologists have been forced to admit that the probablity of mental health problems increases as we move down the social classes, so that poverty is a powerful context leading to a higher probability of individuals suffering mental health problems.