사회적 관심과 정신건강

Social Interest and Mental Health

The most important concept in Adlerian Psychology, counseling and Psychotherapy is Gemeinschaftsgefuhl, usually translated social interest. Adlerian Counselors and psychotherapists equate social interest and mental health. Persons without social interest cannot be healthy, whereas persons with social interest may be healthy. Social interest is a partial explication of mental health, a definition. For Adler, maladjustment or abnormality of all kinds can be described as a deficiency of social interest and cooperation with others. All failures-neurotics, psychotics, criminals, problem children, suicides-are failures because they are lacking in social interest. Therefore, all the problems of human life require the well-developed social interest. This core concept of Adlerian psychology is intimately related to the ethical demand of Christianity, Love thy neighbor. Adlerian psychology and psychotherapy can contribute to pastoral counseling through these ideas: social interest and contribution to the common welfare of the human community. Adler discriminated dysfunctional behavior along the dimensions of social interest and degree of activity. For instance, the neurotic has more social interest than the psychotic. The neurotic has a hesitating attitude or yes, but response to life. This individual postpones decisions and tries to keep a safe distance from others and difficult tasks. The psychotic s response to life tasks is no, and he cuts himself off from the common world. The ultimate goal of therapy is to develop the individual s social interest. Cure in Adlerian psychotherapy means helping the individual contribute to the common welfare through expression of social interest. This thesis has purposes to describe Adler s basic view of social interest and psychopathology and clarify and apply it to pastoral counseling. Adlerian views of neurosis and psychopathology provide us with the fundamental understanding of the individual s abnormality and disorder. With this understanding, a counselor or therapist can work with clients as an effective tool to generate their change and growth. In the crisis situation of breaking families and human community, we must pursue not only the individual s mental health but also the well-being of our family, church, and society through the development of social interest and the practice of altruistic love.