A half-century ago the Israeli medical researcher and sociologist Aaron Antonovsky, introduced a novel framework for viewing day-to-day health as a point on a continuum ranging from energized thriving and state of health to major illness and misery. He called the framework salutogenesis as it was based on the exploration of factors that lead to health. (Antonovsky was one of the founders of the medical school in Beer Sheva). Antonovsky’s initial interest in salutogenic mechanisms grew out of his research into Israeli women who stayed healthy despite experiences from the concentration camps of the Second World War. He was seeking to answer the question “How do living systems cope with the omnipresent entropic, disorder-producing forces?” By focusing on salutogenesis, in contrast to pathogenesis, Antonovsky hoped that researchers might start to identify pathways and mechanisms leading in the direction of health. Additionally he sought to provide a framework to guide clinical practice.
A salutogenic focused approach to health and wellbeing is based on the concept that good health is not just the absence of illness, but the presence of positive physical, mental, and social wellbeing. This approach emphasizes strategies to promote health and wellbeing, rather than simply managing illness and disease. In other words, what allows the individual, confronting the many stressors of life, to maintain wellbeing and flourish.
The salutogenesis concept has been adopted in many sectors and organizations, including National Institutes of Health, NASA, some departments within medical schools in the US and International public health organizations. Recognizing its increasing relevance, the word salutogenesis has recently been added to The Merriam-Webster dictionary.
“Salutogenesis“ an approach to human health that examines the factors contributing to the promotion and maintenance of physical and mental well-being rather than disease with particular emphasis on the coping mechanisms of individuals which help preserve health despite stressful conditions.”
Summary of Characteristics of Antonovsky’s Salutogenic Orientation:
Rejects the dichotomous classification of healthy and diseased in favor of a multidimensional health/disease continuum.
Focuses on the total story of a human being, including their sickness, rather than solely the etiology of a disease.
Asks what factors are involved in maintaining or improving one's location on the health continuum, rather than focusing on stressors.
Recognizes that stressors are omnipresent, and the consequences of stressors can be salutary if the stressor is successfully resolved.
Seeks to find all sources of negative entropy that can facilitate active adaptation of the organism to the environment.
Looks at deviant cases found in traditional medical inquiry to gain a deeper understanding of health.
Recognizes the role of social determinants of health in determining individual outcomes and expands potential interventions to include those directed at the individual, community, and broader cultural and political levels.
Provides a richer understanding and suggests strategies to engage with challenges brought about by changes in economic, social, and cultural conditions.
Facilitates communication and collaboration between health sciences and professions.
Translates research findings into an individual-based action plan and focuses on the sense of coherence in understanding stressors, managing them and find them meaningful.
(Based on Antonovsky, 1987, pp.12-13) From Design for Human and Planetary Health - A Holistic/Integral Approach to Complexity and Sustainability - PhD Thesis Introduction -Daniel C. Wahl - 2006