The sense of coherence in the salutogenic model of health

Abstract

This section aims to describe the salutogenic construct of the sense of coherence. It begins with a reflection of the ontological and epistemological background of salutogenesis, which is not particularly described and explained to any significant extent in the publications by Antonovsky. The core concepts, the sense of coherence and the generalized resistance resources within the salutogenic model of health are explained. The measurement of the sense of coherence and the validity and reliability of the sense of coherence scales are extensively described. The sense of coherence is a concept that can be applied at different system levels, at an individual level, a group (family), on organizations and societal level. Therefore, a life cycle perspective is adopted for this section, describing sense of coherence in children and families, in adolescents and in older adults. Finally, salutogenesis, a resource-oriented approach on peoples’ abilities, is much more than the measurement of the sense of coherence. The salutogenic umbrella is here used as a metaphor for showing some related concepts.