Personality Development and Mental Health

Personality has been aquated with stable psychological structures like physical, intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual ones, which dispose the individual to act the way he does.

Personality structure and how its work cannot be directly observed but merely inferred from behavior.

Any description of personality involved theoretical statement about its unit. Personality theories come under various classification depending upon the author’s point of emphasis. Prominent among these is Frued’s Psychoanalytical theory with its sub-theories on structure, development and dynamics.

The determinants of personality are, according to one author – inherited predisposition, abilities, family and home environment and culture.

Many condition in life make adjustment process necessary. Adjustment involves doing what is necessary to gratify a need, drive or motive or to meet physical or social demand. The processes of coping with (or adjustment) threats or frustration are varied. Among these are defense mechanism which may be regarded as reaction to situation forces.

The psychotherapeutic techniques include Freud’s free association, Roger’s nondirective counseling, group therapy, the use of learning theories like the principles of counter-conditioning and the principle of the reinforcement, psychodrama, role playing and eclectic approach.