Sustainable mental health

Prof. Ernst Bohlmeijer

National Conference Positive Psychology, March 9th, 2018

A new framework for balancedmental health care

(positive)mental health

Issues

• Positive psychology versus negative psychology?

• Fluctuations of symptomatology & well-being; sustainability.

• Consequences for mental health care: intake, treatment, assessment…

Evolving insights

• 10 years of research on well-being and psychopathology.

• Context of a PhD project in collaboration with Mindfit (DimenceGroup); Romy Kleijn.

• Viewpoint paper with Romy Kleijn, Matthijs Noordzij en GerbenWesterhof

A proposition for a heuristicframework for complete recovery and sustainable

mental health

Paradigm shift?

Paradigm broadening

As humans (organisms with a neo-cortex) we are meant to grow and flourish. But somewhere, sooner or later, we get stuck(e.g. tricky brains, unsafe & neglegtedupbringing, unhealthy contexts, experiential avoidance). So mental health care is about creating relationships andpsycho-education that help clients todevelop inner safeness, trust and courage that enable to develop new competenciesand take wise and valued actions to live a joyful, meaningful and engaged life.

That is, to take responsibility for andself-determine one’s life.However, the first necessary step, is toface reality and to face and bear one’ssuffering and pain. And to understandwell the origins of one’s mentalsuffering. There is no way aroundsuffering. Without this ability there is no sustainable mental health or flourishing.

So, let’s do it:designing & implementing

pathways of treatment

CHAVES STUDIE

CHAVES STUDIE

Quotes(in Dutch)

Ja, het hielp mij echt uit die dip te komen.

Ik was heel enthousiast, het heeft mij heel veel goed gedaan.

Ja, ik heb me zeker gehoord gevoeld (…). Als ik met dingen kwam die ik niet snapte of die…dan kon zij dat goed weerleggen en heel goed de weg terugwijzen, ook naar het boek. En dat is ook heel prettig.

Cliënten

Ja, dat is heel leuk. Je hebt hele anderegesprekken. Er zit veel meer dynamiekin, veel meer positiviteit. En de client die ik dan had, pakte het ook zo mooiop. En dan zie je dat het ook werkt.

Behandelaar

Ik ben gedragstherapeutisch opgevoeden ga ook snel die kant (klachtgericht) op denken natuurlijk. Dus ik heb somsook snel het gevoel van ja, met die aanpak (WBT) stap je er ook sneloverheen soms.

Behandelaar

Context of self-management of

chronic physical diseases

Conclusions

Positive psychology≠ think positive, and all will be well≠ no attention for suffering≠ goal to be always happy, happy, happy≠ the opposite of a negative psychology≠ the individually is totally responsible≠ you can no longer be a victim

Positive psychologyü Appreciation of goodness and strengths

without denying what is painful and its causes.ü Internal and external resources to live a joyful,

engaged and meaningful life, also in the presence of psychological or physical vulnerability.

ü Potentially especially effective in context of stressful events and life-conditions i.e. in coping with suffering.

ü Effective impact on reduction of biases that maintain and cause psychopathology.

The Model is an invitation…

• To design and play with variations in interventions aiming at (psychological) barriers and resources for adaptation from an open and inquisitive mind.

• To create sustainable mental health defined by absence of symptomatology and presence of well-being and ability to adapt.

• To tap into salutogenesis as the will and courage to fulfill one’s potential, to experience joy and create meaning, in the context of positive relationships with others.

• To co-create balanced goals for treatment with clients using measures of psychopathology and well-being as reference.

• To create a (sustainable) mental health care as a meaningful, joyful and compassionate context where therapists can thrive.

Thank you for your attention