Vitality Revisited: The Evolving Concept of Flourishing and Its Relevance to Personal and Public Health

Human flourishing, the state of optimal functioning and well-being across all aspects of an individual's life, has been a topic of philosophical and theological discussion for centuries. In the mid-20th century, social psychologists and health scientists began exploring the concept of flourishi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2023-03, Vol.20 (6), p.5065
Main Authors: Logan, Alan C, Berman, Brian M, Prescott, Susan L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Disease
Energy
Health aspects
Health care
Health Status
Humans
Lifestyles
Mental disorders
Mental health
Motivation
Preventive medicine
Psychiatrists
Public Health
Science
Viewpoint
Well being
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Summary:Human flourishing, the state of optimal functioning and well-being across all aspects of an individual's life, has been a topic of philosophical and theological discussion for centuries. In the mid-20th century, social psychologists and health scientists began exploring the concept of flourishing in the context of health and high-level wellness. However, it is only in recent years, in part due to the USD 43 million Global Flourishing Study including 22 countries, that flourishing has entered the mainstream discourse. Here, we explore this history and the rapid acceleration of research into human flourishing, defined as "the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good" by the Harvard University's Flourishing Program. We also explore the construct of "vitality", which refers to a sense of aliveness, energy, and motivation; we contend that this has been neglected in the flourishing movement. We explore why incorporating measures of vitality, together with a broader biopsychosocial approach, considers all dimensions of the environment across time (the total exposome), which will greatly advance research, policies, and actions to achieve human flourishing.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph20065065