Editorial: Positive dimensions of mental health.

Abstract

Several papers in this issue address positive experiences in aging and the measurement and meaning of positive emotions. With no pun intended, this is a positive development for the field. For a long time, the overwhelming emphasis in research on mental health and aging has been on symptoms and disease. Seven papers in this issue contribute to an understanding of the dimensions and correlates of positive experience and emotion. These studies, of course, only begin to explore the many different facets of positive experiences and positive emotions. Research is needed particularly to develop better conceptual and measurement models of positive emotions and to explore further the relation of positive and negative emotions under different conditions. Programs which build positive experience and self-efficacy, are particularly useful for prevention of depression and other disorders. Not just the other side of the coin, positive emotions may be a critical dimension of mental health that warrants more consistent attention in research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

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