Roots of Positive Change: Optimizing Healthcare With Positive Health Practice reviews the science of positive psychology, its impact on health and well-being, and how to harness it in effective medical practices. The updated second edition explores how positive psychology with healthy lifestyles in the context of other health-protective biopsychosocial factors leads to what is increasingly called positive health. The book offers guidance to physicians and other health professionals on how to practically implement this emerging science into clinical practice. Roots of Positive Change is written in a format that is accessible to anyone interested in the topic and applying it to their personal well-being.
The foreword by eminent positive psychology researcher Barbara Fredrickson sets the stage for this pioneering book, which is a breakthrough in the movement to harness positive psychology for healthcare. Chapters cover key topics including the types of activities shown to boost positive emotions and improve emotional well-being (such as mindfulness, gratitude practice, and acts of kindness); conducting well-being assessments; prescribing positive activities as part of treatment interventions; redesigning healthcare practices to integrate positive psychology strategies; coaching health behavior change using positive psychology techniques; implementing quality improvement processes to enhance these services; teaching, modeling, and advocating for positive psychology in healthcare; and promoting well-being of physicians and other healthcare workers. The chapters are cross-referenced so that readers can go directly to the topic(s) of interest. Key information is presented in bulleted formats and summary charts for easy access.
Positive psychology strategies in conjunction with lifestyle medicine, which emphasizes healthy lifestyles treatment, can be implemented in clinical care to support individuals and patients to enjoy a state of well-being beyond what can be achieved by addressing traditional risk factors alone. Lifestyle medicine is an early adopter of positive psychology due to the reciprocal and reinforcing nature of healthy habits and positive emotions. Core competencies of lifestyle medicine can be enhanced with emphasis on positive psychology and specific recommendations are presented. The book acknowledges that more research is needed to delineate best practices for applying positive psychology in healthcare and promoting positive health and points to research questions that can pave the way. Innovative, yet practical, this contribution to the health, medical, and psychology literature will resonate as an essential reference for those aiming to make a difference in their personal health and well-being and in the lives of their patients.
