Positive psychology and public health

Abstract

Public health has been defined as "The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society." (Acheson, 1988, Public health in England: The report of the committee of inquiry into the future development of the public health function (Acheson Report)). Within the field of public health, health promotion is an area which focuses more on health than diseases. The ideology of mental health promotion is in many ways comparable to the one of positive psychology. Furthermore the development of health promotion, particularly mental health promotion within the field of public health, has a lot in common with the development of positive psychology. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the similarities between the ideology of mental health promotion and positive psychology, which both emphasize the positive aspects of health and human beings. A special focus will be on positive mental health and how it can be measured. At the end of the chapter a reflection will be made on how the field of mental health promotion and positive psychology can support each other and lead to social change. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.