This ground-breaking book combines research and practice in the rapidly growing field of Positive Psychology with the fastest-growing medical speciality of Lifestyle Medicine. Section 1 maps out the new field of positive health by exploring the scope, content and architecture of this rapidly emerging area of research. It explores research findings and applications derived from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology that are critical for positive health. Section 2 delves into positive health research, covering topics such as using character strengths to improve health, maximising psychological wellbeing from head to toe, optimising gut health and understanding the relationships between mind and body. Section 3 offers guidance on applying the principles of positive health by describing new Positive Health Interventions (PHIs), introducing innovative positive health coaching models and exploring the contribution of positive psychology to health equity. The book is ideal for medical doctors, nurses and health professionals interested in helping their patients flourish psychologically and physically. It is an invaluable guide for social workers, positive psychologists, coaches and mental health professionals who want to explore the physiological dimensions of wellbeing.

Even in the modern age, oral diseases have a substantial and negative impact on citizens all over the globe. Oral diseases affect nearly half of the global population and represent a significant economic and health burden. As a result, the promotion of oral health and disease prevention information has emerged as one of the most cost-effective strategies in limiting these maladies and treating them should they occur. Leveraging Digital Technology for Preventive Dentistry provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the area. It discusses the latest findings in digital technologies for health promotion and oral disease promotion, as well as the behavior of these health actions in the international context. Covering topics such as ethical and legal aspects, preventive dentistry, and biometric studies, this book is an excellent resource for librarians, dentists, dental students and educators, researchers, academicians, and more.

Drawing on the authors’ diverse backgrounds and expertise, this is the first academic volume dedicated to the rarely discussed topic of laughter and humour in positive psychology.

As our global demographic shifts towards an increasingly aging population, we have an opportunity to transform how we experience and think about getting older and embrace the diversity and contribution that this population can bring to society. The International Handbook of Positive Aging showcases the latest research and theory into aging, examining the various challenges faced by older adults and the ways in which we can bring a much-needed positive focus towards dealing with these. The handbook brings together disparate research from medical, academic, economic and social community fields, with contributions from NHS partners, service users, universities across the United Kingdom and collaborations with international research leaders in the field of aging. Divided into sections, the first part of the book focuses on introducing the concept of positive aging before going on to cover the body over the life course, well-being and care delivery. All contributors recognise the fact that we are living longer, which is providing us with a tremendous opportunity to enjoy and flourish in healthy and fulfilling later lives, and this focus on the importance of patient empowerment is integral to the book. This is a valuable reference source for those working in developmental psychology, clinical psychology, mental health, health sciences, medicine, neuropsychological rehabilitation, sociology, anthropology, social policy and social work. It will help encourage researchers, professionals and policymakers to make the most of opportunities and innovations to promote a person’s sense of independence, dignity, well-being, good health and participation in society as they get older.

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, the field of positive psychology has sought to implement a science of human flourishing so that we may lead happier, more fulfilling lives. It has found expression not only in academic papers but also popular books and, increasingly, in government policy. The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Positive Psychology is the first volume dedicated to a critical appraisal of this influential but controversial field of study. The book critically examines not only the scientific foundations of positive psychology, but also the sociocultural and political tenets on which the field rests. It evaluates the current field of knowledge and practice, and includes chapters analysing the methodological constructs of the field, as well as others that question what positive psychology actually means by ideas such as happiness or well-being. Taking the debate further, the book then discusses how positive psychology can be applied in a wider variety of settings than is presently the case, helping communities and individuals by acknowledging the reality of people’s lives rather than adhering strictly to debateable theoretical constructs. Including contributions from disciplines ranging from psychoanalysis to existential therapy, theology to philosophy, and contributors from throughout the world, The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Positive Psychology will be enlightening reading for anyone interested in how psychology has sought to understand human well-being.

The ability to prioritise long-term goals above short-term gratifications is crucial to living a healthy and happy life. We are bombarded with temptations, whether from fast-food or faster technologies, but the psychological capacity to manage our lives within such a challenging environment has far-reaching implications for the well-being not only of the individual, but also society as a whole. The Routledge International Handbook of Self-Control in Health and Wellbeing is the first comprehensive handbook to map this burgeoning area of research by applying it to health outcomes and personal well-being. Including contributions from leading scholars worldwide, the book incorporates new research findings that suggest that simply inhibiting our immediate impulses isn’t the whole story; there may be more options to improve self-control than simply by suppressing the ego. Divided into six coherent sections, the book provides an overview of the research base before discussing a range of interventions to help improve self-control in different contexts, from smoking or drinking too much to developing self-control over aggression or spending money. The only definitive handbook on this far-reaching topic, this essential work will appeal to researchers and students across health and social psychology, as well as related health sciences.

Golf is one of the world’s major sports and consequently the focus of world-class scientific research. This landmark publication is the most comprehensive book ever published on the science of golf, covering every sub-discipline from physiology, biomechanics and psychology to strength and conditioning, youth development and equipment design. Showcasing original research from leading golf scientists across the globe, it examines the fundamental science underpinning the game and demonstrates how it can be applied in practice to improve and develop players. Each chapter provides a definitive account of the current state of knowledge in a particular area of golf science, addressing the limitations of existing research, presenting new areas for development and discussing the implications for coaches, players, scientists and the wider golfing public. Truly international in scope, the variety of topics explored include: biomechanics and equipment skill learning and technology performance development psychological techniques for success the golfing body. This is an essential reference for any student or researcher with an interest in the game, or any coach or professional looking to improve their knowledge.

This book reveals how pro‐environmental actions can boost individuals’ and communities’ psychological, social, and emotional wellbeing, resulting in positive environmental changes. Pro‐environmental actions are often viewed as being motivated by anxiety, shame, or anger. However, emerging research indicates that they can also become a source of positive affect, life meaning, engagement, and other wellbeing outcomes. This book turns the current research and practice of pro‐environmental action on its head. Drawing from the field of positive psychology, a rapidly developing science of wellbeing, the book explores new perspectives on how researchers and practitioners can influence engagement in pro‐environmental initiatives. It provides ways in which individuals passionate about the environment can reframe their feelings and thoughts and allow their newly gained perspective to improve their wellbeing, and outlines approaches to support and encourage those less motivated to engage in pro‐environmental actions. The book draws on research from the biodiversity project called Let It Bee, but also looks at examples of other pro‐environmental research, such as water conservation, recycling, and reducing the consumption of meat. This book can be used as a guide for changing how stakeholders motivate people to engage in pro‐environmental action. This book will be essential reading for students and scholars of biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability, ecosystem services, and environmental psychology.

The Routledge International Handbook of Global Therapeutic Cultures explores central lines of enquiry and seminal scholarship on therapeutic cultures, popular psychology, and the happiness industry. Bringing together studies of therapeutic cultures from sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, politics, law, history, social work, cultural studies, development studies, and American Indian studies, it adopts a consciously global focus, combining studies of the psychologisation of social life from across the world. Thematically organised, it offers historical accounts of the growing prominence of therapeutic discourses and practices in everyday life, before moving to consider the construction of self-identity in the context of the diffusion of therapeutic discourses in connection with the global spread of capitalism. With attention to the ways in which emotional language has brought new problematisations of the dichotomy between the normal and the pathological, as well as significant transformations of key institutions, such as work, family, education, and religion, it examines emergent trends in therapeutic culture and explores the manner in which the advent of new therapeutic technologies, the political interest in happiness, and the radical privatisation and financialisation of social life converge to remake self-identities and modes of everyday experience. Finally, the volume features the work of scholars who have foregrounded the historical and contemporary implication of psychotherapeutic practices in processes of globalisation and colonial and postcolonial modes of social organisation. Presenting agenda-setting research to encourage interdisciplinary and international dialogue and foster the development of a distinctive new field of social research, The Routledge International Handbook of Global Therapeutic Cultures will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in the advance of therapeutic discourses and practices in an increasingly psychologised society.