The significance of salutogenesis and well-being in mental health promotion: From theory to practice

Abstract

This chapter aims to illustrate how Antonovsky's salutogenic model can be operationalized into a salutogenic approach for promoting the sense of coherence, coping mental health, and well-being among people with mental health problems. The intervention is based on the following basic assumptions about health: (a) the health continuum model; (b) the story of the person; (c) health-promoting (salutary) factors; (d) the understanding of tension and strain as potentially health promoting; and (e) active adaptation and the main concepts of sense of coherence and general resistance resources. The program is a talk-therapy group intervention and consists of 16 group meetings and homework. The intervention may serve as a guide to mental health practice when active adaptation, sense of coherence, mental health, and well-being are the main targets.