10 Positive health concerns itself with the individual-level analogues of these constructs. 9 Along these lines, HLEs (happiness-adjusted life expectancies) measure the quality of life in a nation by forming the product of the average life expectancy and the average happiness (aka subjective well-being, life satisfaction) in that nation. The topics of concern to positive psychology can be divided into 4 related topics 2, 3:įamiliar within the field of epidemiology are the population-level concepts of DALYs (disability adjusted life years), HALYs (health-adjusted life years), and QALYs (quality-adjusted life years), which combine measures of morbidity and mortality into the same index. The goal of positive psychology is to complement and extend the problem-focused psychology, and an important idea from positive psychology is that one way to solve problems is by identifying and leveraging individual and societal strengths and assets. It is as if psychology has viewed people as only fragile and flawed. 3 The yield of these problem-focused efforts has been impressive, but a myopic view of the human condition has resulted. One of the triggers for the introduction of positive psychology was the realization that since World War II, psychology as a field had devoted much of its effort to identifying, treating, and-occasionally-preventing problems such as anxiety and depression. Research findings from positive psychology are intended to contribute to a more complete and balanced scientific understanding of human experiences and ways to foster thriving in individuals, communities, and societies. It calls for as much focus on strength as on weakness, as much interest in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst, and as much attention to fulfilling the lives of healthy people as to healing the wounds of the distressed. Positive psychology urges attention to what is taking place on the other side of the zero point of being problem-free. Someone without symptoms or disorders may or may not be living well. Positive psychology assumes that life entails more than avoiding or undoing problems and that explanations of the good life must do more than reverse accounts of problems. 2 - 4 It challenges the assumptions of the disease model. Positive psychology is a perspective within psychology that studies optimal experience, people being and doing their best. This article provides a brief overview of what positive psychology is and addresses how theories, findings, and especially applications from positive psychology might pertain to physical health. Evidence is accumulating that a happy, engaged, and fulfilling psychological and social life is not just a consequence of good health, it is what leads people to live a healthy and long life. Research has shown that not only are physical, mental, and social well-beings important components for complete health, but they are also interconnected. The topics of concern to positive psychology are broad indicators of psychological, social, and societal well-being. 2 It is the study of strengths, assets, and positive attributes. Positive psychology is an umbrella term for the scientific study of the various contributors to a healthy and thriving life for the self and others (eg, positive emotions, life meaning, engaging work, and close relationships). More recently, theory, research, and applications from the perspective of positive psychology have helped articulate the meaning of health and well-being. Most would agree with this statement, but over the years, it has been largely a slogan. We conclude that the application of positive psychology to health is promising, although much work remains to be done. Future directions for the application of positive psychology to health are discussed. Not yet known is whether positive psychology interventions improve physical health. Research has shown that psychological health assets (eg, positive emotions, life satisfaction, optimism, life purpose, social support) are prospectively associated with good health measured in a variety of ways. We describe evidences of how topics of positive psychology apply to physical health. Positive psychology is concerned with positive psychological states (eg, happiness), positive psychological traits (eg, talents, interests, strengths of character), positive relationships, and positive institutions. The goal of positive psychology is to complement and extend the traditional problem-focused psychology that has proliferated in recent decades. Positive psychology is the scientific study of a healthy and flourishing life.
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