In this essay I will define and discuss the concepts of ‘positive psychology’, of ‘happiness’, which is synonymous with subjective well-being (SWB); of ‘the architecture of sustainable happiness’; and the biopsychosocial model. I aim to demonstrate that SWB is a multifaceted and can only be understood by investigating biological, psychological and social factors and their interdependence to construct a holistic model. I will provide examples of these different factors and their interdependence and explain why the biopsychosocial paradigm is the best for understanding happiness and conclude that SWB is indeed a ‘biopsychosocial phenomenon’.
The concept of positive psychology is fairly new having only being defined in 2000 as:
“[the] scientific study of optimal human functioning [that] aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive.” (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, quoted in Boniwell and Rostron, 2010, p.119)
Essentially, it is the scientific study of happiness, or SWB.
SWB is a state in which a person will “feel many pleasant and few unpleasant emotions, when they are engaged in interesting activities, when they experience many pleasures and few pains, and when they are satisfied with their lives” (Diener, in Toates, 2010, p.8). This is personal and subjective and quantifying it is usually based on personal reports.
SWB can also be defined as “life satisfaction + affect” (Boniwell and Rostron, 2010, p.123). Life satisfaction is a person’s assessment of their own life (cognitive process); affect is a person’s mood (emotional process).
The biopsychosocial model assumes that biological, psychological and social factors all play a role in mental health and that they are interdependent, m...
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...and Well-being [online]. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/976358/mod_resource/content/4/assets/animation/b2act21.html?content=b2act21.xml (accessed 15th January 2014).
Toates, F. (2010) ‘Bodies, brains, behaviour and minds’ in SDK228 The science of the mind: investigating mental health, Unit 1, ‘Core Concepts in Mental Health’, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 1-27.
Toates, F. (2010) ‘Factors that contribute to mental well-being’ in SDK228 The science of the mind: investigating mental health, Unit 1, ‘Core Concepts in Mental Health’, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 63-90.
Urry, L., Nitschke, J.B., Dolski, I., Jackson, D.C., Dalton, K.M., Mueller, C.J., Rosenkranz, M.A., Ryff, C.D., Singer, B.H., Davidson, R.J. (2004) ‘Making a life worth living: neural correlates of well-being’, Psychological Science, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 367-372.
Gross, R., 2013. The Science of Mind And Behaviour. 6 ed. London: Hodder Education .
Wellbeing was first discussed as authentic happiness by Seligman. In the concept of authentic happiness he discussed the components of positive emotions, meaning in life and engagement. He had described these components to be very much essential in bringing in authentic happiness which he called as wellbeing. It takes the shape of subjective wellbeing, when it becomes subjective to a person’s experience alone. The concrete aspects of health and wealth may stay away from this, when a person’s subjectivity is concerned (Kammann, 1983). Over the years as we see in other studies, this concept has changed to subjective wellbeing being defined on the basis of all the areas of life, wherein the objective factors of wealth and health, and
The studies given as examples and discussion focuses on teenagers and young adults, but includes anyone is struggling to find happiness. Evidence to Support Thesis: Point 1: The level of well-being is emphasized as more people continue to lose track of what makes them happy. Shawn Anchor is reminding people to capture the essence of simple contentment and asking his audience to think about what they value. Anchor’s book provides seven principles that involve having an open mind to becoming happier. Anchor includes other research studies as evidence to his claims throughout the book.
However, mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders and there are a number of problems that can interfere with a person’s cognitive, social and emotional abilities. Biological approaches to mental health view all psychiatric disorders as being caused by organic factors such as genetic and biochemical factors. The role of psychiatrists or clinical psychologists is to help the patient cope with the illness or control the effects of it by means of medication or therapy (Cardwell, Clark, and Meldrum, 2008). In contrast to the biological theory, the social theory to mental ill health offers a holistic approach to try and understand mental disorders. This means that there may also be social factors that may influence a person’s resistance or susceptibility to psychiatric disorders. These could be triggered by certain life events such as a tragedy or stress. It also takes into consideration the labelling theory where society labels a person as ‘mentally ill’ who then accepts that status (self-fulfilling prophecy) and may lead to a severe mental
In Martin Seligman and other’s article “A Balanced Psychology and a Full Life,” he states that the definition of happiness, “Is a condition over and above the absence of unhappiness” (Seligman et al 1379).
In the book, The How of Happiness, author and researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky sets her book apart from other self-awareness books by being the first to utilize empirical studies. She uses data gained through scientific method to provide support for her hypothesis. This hypothesis consists mainly of the idea that we have the ability to overcome genetic predisposition and circumstantial barriers to happiness by how we think and what we do. She emphasizes that being happier benefits ourselves, our family and our community. “The How of Happiness is science, and the happiness-increasing strategies that [she] and other social psychologists have developed are its key supporting players” (3).
Prince, M.; Patel. V.; Saxena, S.; Maj, M.; Maselko, J.; Phillips, M.R.; and Rehman, Atif. (2007). No Health without Mental Health. Global Mental Health Series 1, 370: 859–77
... middle of paper ... ... Subjective well-being is apparently a product of psychological reactions to external stimulants, and those reactions are a product of learning social paradigms through cultural influences. As such, it is not possible to strictly relate it to any given external circumstance, person, or object for all communities and individuals.
Toates, F. (2010) ‘Brains, bodies, behaviour and minds’ in SDK228 The science of the mind: investigating mental health, Book 1, Core concepts in mental health, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 29-90.
Works Cited • www.mentalhealth.org.uk • www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov • www.rethink.org.uk • www.psychologytoday.com www.hope-health-recovery.org.uk - www.hope-health- • www.nami.org.uk
Hewstone, M. Fincham, F. and Foster, J (2005). Psychology. Oxford: The British Psychological Society, and Blackwell Publishing. P3-23.
This is the acknowledgment that quality of life/well-being has both objective components which are the components external to an individual and measurable by ‘others’ and subjective components which are personal assessments of one’s own life or of particular aspects of life using measures of satisfaction, happiness, or other self-assessment scales.
An individual 's happiness is vital to their overall wellbeing and is affected by numerous factors, all to varying extents.
Real happiness is more than brief positive feelings but rather a lasting state of peace or contentedness. According to Reich, a former professor of psychology at Arizona State University, happiness is “deeper than a momentary good mood” (Reich). When ordinary happiness is experienced, Jacobsen, a professor in the Department
Throughout history, philosophers and scientists of various kinds have been trying to define happiness, identify its causes and the obstacles to reaching it. According to Jon Gertner, psychologist Gilbert and economist Loewenstein have succeeded in pointing out several reasons why people are unhappy (pp: 444-6). It is important to note that according to Gilbert, it is not that people cannot g...