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The definition of what is normal or what constitutes mental health has been a subject of concern since the beginning of psychiatry and psychology; they are of particular importance today however, in view of the fact that mental health policies depend on such a definition.
The editors, who have on two previous occasions (1966), (1974) written on the subject, are very cognizant of the fact that delineation of what constitutes normality throughout the life cycle is important not only from a theoretical and clinical point of view but also because those involved in policy making are demanding a clearer definition of what constitutes mental health. In part some of the ambiguities arise from the fact that the concept 'normal' is defined and used by various disciplines to convey substantively different meanings.
Psychoanalysts beginning with Freud have concerned themselves with normality. All seem to have a concept of normal, even if it was not specifically spelled out. Freud, in his 1937 paper 'Analysis terminable and interminable', stated that 'a normal ego is, like normality in general, an ideal fiction' (p. 235) but proceeded to contrast normal with neurotic throughout his writings and in 'Mourning and melancholia' (1917) described normal mourning contrasting it to the melancholic reaction. The idea however that absolute normality is not possible is voiced by other analysts as well. Jones (1942) had earlier concluded that a completely normal mind is not to be found. Hartmann (1939) defines the concept of health from the point of view of adaptation where health or normality is a function of the individual's adaptiveness to reality in which both environmental conditions as well as internal psychic elements are considered. He was aware that it is tempting to equate adaptation with health and therefore warned against reductionistic tendencies emphasizing the complexity of the process and pointing to what he terms the organizing function in which the synthetic and diffe