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Positive Well-Being and Health

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Handbook of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Research on emotional experience in behavioral medicine has been focused primarily on negative characteristics such as depression, anxiety, and hostility. This chapter outlines recent developments in understanding the contribution of positive affect and well-being to health. The different conceptualizations of positive well-being are described, and the evidences about their associations with disease development and prognosis are reviewed. Although data are still limited, there are indications that well-being has protective associations with health outcomes that are independent of negative affective factors such as depression and distress. Both behavioral and direct biological processes may mediate relationships between well-being and health. Brain mechanisms are only beginning to be understood, and it is uncertain whether the impact of positive well-being is independent of other potentially protective factors such as social support, social connectedness, and resilience. This is an exciting field of behavioral medicine research that promises to increase the understanding of connections between the mind and the body, to relieve suffering, and to postpone ill health.

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  1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Andrew Steptoe (British Heart Foundation Professor of Psychology)

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Correspondence to Andrew Steptoe .

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  1. St Georges Hospital Medical School, Dept. Psychology, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, United Kingdom

    A. Steptoe

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Steptoe, A. (2010). Positive Well-Being and Health. In: Steptoe, A. (eds) Handbook of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09488-5_14

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