Psychological well-being and health. Contributions of positive psychology

Abstract

Positive Psychology is contributing to a more precise definition of the outline of human well-being and is fully incorporating studies on positive elements (strengths and positive emotions) that are without doubt amplifying the framework of research and conduct of psychology, in particular that of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology. Over the last few years, academic debate has, from a scientific perspective, gone back to two ancient philosophical orientations, namely hedonism and eudaimonia. The hedonic approach conceives well-being as the presence of positive affect and lack of negative affect, whilst the eudaimonic perspective regards well being as the consequence of a full psychological actualization from which people develop their whole potential. Whether assessed from a hedonic or eudaimonic perspective, well-being seems to play a role in the prevention of and in the recovery of physical conditions and diseases and so possibly contributes to an increase in life expectancy. Finally, the implications of these findings are discussed both from an academic perspective and, more generally speaking, from a social and political point of view.