Wat heeft de positieve psychologie te bieden?

Summary

What does positive psychology have to offer? Response to Ad Bergsma

Positive psychology focuses on the study of the principles and strategies people use in an effort to be resilient and mentally healthy and flourishing despite setbacks. It is becoming increasingly clear in these studies that it is not nearly always the circumstances that make people unhappy. Instead it is more often how they perceive the circumstances and cope with them.

Positive psychology can help promote the well-being of people with chronic somatic or psychological disorders. In the treatment of people with chronic diseases, attention is also devoted to their quality of life and well-being, which can be affected by the disease. If treatment is no longer effective, sometimes quality of life is the most important aim.

In addition, it is relevant for psychologists and psychiatrists to look for mechanisms to prevent psychological disorders. We know a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and exercise can prevent many chronic somatic illnesses. Along the same lines, we want to know whether and how psychological disorders can be prevented. The study of these principles is not a luxury that makes happy people even happier, it is a necessity if we are to restrict the increasing costs of mental health care and prevent unnecessary distress. Various reviews indicate that well-being tends to protect people from psychological disorders. This is why promoting the well-being of people who are psychologically fragile is a legitimate and even necessary prevention strategy.