Positive Health: The Basics

This introductory book offers a clear guide to the new field of Positive Health which incorporates a shift towards perceiving body and mind as an integrated system. The book combines Lifestyle Medicine research and practice, such as healthy eating, good sleep hygiene, and physical activity, with positive psychology research and practice, including cognitive, arts-based, and positive affect tools, to delve into the psychology of positive health, physiology, and health behaviour.

Combining theory with interventions, and illustrated by case material, mind-maps, and infographics, the book also provides exercises on how to use key research findings from the field of positive health to enhance personal wellbeing. It helps readers focus on the changes they can make to their thinking, attitudes, and behaviours, as well as changes they can instigate in their environment that can lead to positive health. Topics covered include the social determinants of health and meaning as a factor contributing to health.

It is essential for introductory courses on Positive Health, and supplementary reading for courses on positive psychology or wellbeing, as well as valuable reading for all healthcare professionals and policy makers.

Dr Jolanta Burke is a chartered psychologist (BPS), an award-winning researcher specialising in positive psychology and a senior lecturer (US: associate professor) at the Centre for Positive Health Sciences. She leads a Good Life research lab, and her team explores ways in which positive activities can be applied to maximise health and wellbeing impact. She was acknowledged by the Irish Times as one of 30 people who make Ireland a better place. For more information, go to: www.jolantaburke.com.

Dr Pádraic J. Dunne is an immunologist (research scientist), a practising psychotherapist, an accredited senior coach, and a certified lifestyle medicine professional, based at the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences (CPHS). As a senior lecturer (US: associate professor) and lead researcher of the Digital Health Research Group, he is interested in the development of health coach-led health and wellbeing programmes for the general public, healthcare workers, and citizens with a chronic disease diagnosis.

Dr Elaine Byrne has held academic positions at University of Pretoria in South Africa, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ireland and University of Oslo in Norway. Her research interests revolve around supporting healthy people in healthy societies and organisations, with a focus on areas such as addressing self-stigma around HIV, global health systems and health services research, and qualitative research methodology.

Professor Ciaran A. O’Boyle is Director of the Centre and a professor of psychology at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences with over 35 years’ experience as an educator, researcher, and trainer. He established the RCSI Department of Psychology in 1985, the RCSI Institute of Leadership in 2005, and the RCSI Centre for Positive Psychology and Health in 2019.