Provided by ICPA.
Giving Birth To Health
Few are familiar with the term salutogenesis, yet it expresses the very essence of wellness.
Antonovsky coined the term in 1979. It is derived from salus, which is Latin for health, and genesis, meaning to give birth.
As Cowley and Billings wrote: “Salutogenesis literally means ‘that which gives birth to health.’ In traditional public health and community medicine approaches, a ‘pathogenic’ perspective, in which the focus is on disease or illness and its prevention or treatment, most often dominates interventions. Adoption of a salutogenic perspective highlights the importance of starting from a consideration of how health is created and maintained.”
Salutogenesis is the opposite of pathogenesis. Pathos means suffering; pathogenesis refers to the origin of suffering. Ironically, most health professions have this term incorporated in their names. For example, conventional medicine is often referred to as allopathy. Even alternative medical systems, such as homeopathy, naturopathy, naprapathy, and osteopathy, incorporate pathos in their names, and a focus on disease prevention or treatment is implicit in their clinical strategies. In contrast, salutogenesis is the creation of health and well-being. While the prevention and treatment of disease have their place, they are a dangerously incomplete approach for inculcating and cultivating human potential.
The salutogenic model addresses the causes of global well-being rather than the origins of specific disease processes. It focuses on strategies and lifestyle choices that empower individuals to experience the full spectrum of the human experience.