Seven Being well and well-being: the value of community and professional concepts in understanding positive health
-
Elaine Cameron
Abstract
This chapter draws on empirical evidence regarding professionals and service users’ views. It draws on the results of a Department of Health-funded study to explore understanding of health and well-being from the perspective of community members and professionals. It describes how the literature on concepts of health and illness has broadened in recent years to include a growing focus on positive health and well-being. It argues that specific definitions of positive health are, however, difficult to identify. It further argues using findings from the HealthCounts study that more work is needed to develop theoretical frameworks around positive health. It finds that concepts of well-being in themselves are not sufficient unless well specified, and are closely linked with formal or official discourse rather than individual or community views. It argues that lay accounts of positive health can help to broaden understanding of health and its influences as well as improve its measurement.
Abstract
This chapter draws on empirical evidence regarding professionals and service users’ views. It draws on the results of a Department of Health-funded study to explore understanding of health and well-being from the perspective of community members and professionals. It describes how the literature on concepts of health and illness has broadened in recent years to include a growing focus on positive health and well-being. It argues that specific definitions of positive health are, however, difficult to identify. It further argues using findings from the HealthCounts study that more work is needed to develop theoretical frameworks around positive health. It finds that concepts of well-being in themselves are not sufficient unless well specified, and are closely linked with formal or official discourse rather than individual or community views. It argues that lay accounts of positive health can help to broaden understanding of health and its influences as well as improve its measurement.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of figures and tables v
- List of contributors vi
- Introduction 1
-
Key areas of social policy
- Personal social services: developments in adult social care 15
- Creating a patient-led NHS: empowering ‘consumers’ or shrinking the state? 33
- A ‘pivotal moment’? Education policy in England, 2005 49
- Strategic pragmatism? The state of British housing policy 65
- Social security policies in 2005 83
-
Health and well-being
- More than a matter of choice? Consumerism and the modernisation of health care 101
- Being well and well-being: the value of community and professional concepts in understanding positive health 121
- Happiness and social policy: barking up the right tree in the wrong neck of the woods 145
- Using health and subjective wellbeing for quality of life measurement: a review 165
- Community well-being strategy and the legacies of new institutionalism and New Public Management in third way New Zealand 193
-
Ageing and employment
- Extending working life: problems and prospects for social and public policy 221
- Age discrimination in history 249
- Training and learning in the workplace: can we legislate against age discriminatory practices? 269
- Ageing and employment: looking back, looking forward 293
- Index 313
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of figures and tables v
- List of contributors vi
- Introduction 1
-
Key areas of social policy
- Personal social services: developments in adult social care 15
- Creating a patient-led NHS: empowering ‘consumers’ or shrinking the state? 33
- A ‘pivotal moment’? Education policy in England, 2005 49
- Strategic pragmatism? The state of British housing policy 65
- Social security policies in 2005 83
-
Health and well-being
- More than a matter of choice? Consumerism and the modernisation of health care 101
- Being well and well-being: the value of community and professional concepts in understanding positive health 121
- Happiness and social policy: barking up the right tree in the wrong neck of the woods 145
- Using health and subjective wellbeing for quality of life measurement: a review 165
- Community well-being strategy and the legacies of new institutionalism and New Public Management in third way New Zealand 193
-
Ageing and employment
- Extending working life: problems and prospects for social and public policy 221
- Age discrimination in history 249
- Training and learning in the workplace: can we legislate against age discriminatory practices? 269
- Ageing and employment: looking back, looking forward 293
- Index 313
