salutogenic

Salutogenic is an adjective relating to salutogenesis, a framework for understanding health that emphasizes factors which support human health and well-being rather than those that cause disease. It contrasts with pathogenic approaches that focus on origins of illness.

The term was developed by Aaron Antonovsky, a medical sociologist, in the 1970s. He proposed that individuals vary in their capacity to respond to stressors and that health is not merely the absence of disease but a resource that can be maintained or enhanced. Central to his view is the idea that some people remain healthy despite adversity due to their ability to mobilize available resources.

Core concepts of the salutogenic model include the sense of coherence (SOC) and general resistance resources (GRRs). SOC is a global orientation comprising comprehensibility (finding life events understandable), manageability (having the resources to cope), and meaningfulness (finding meaning in challenges). GRRs encompass social support, financial and material resources, education, coping skills, and other assets that help people resist stress and stay well. The interaction between SOC and GRRs is thought to determine how effectively individuals navigate stress and maintain health.

In practice, salutogenesis informs health promotion and preventive medicine by focusing on strengthening SOC and expanding GRRs. It supports strategies such as stress management, social policy development, community networks, and resilience-building initiatives. Some critiques note challenges in measuring SOC across cultures and the need for more empirical evidence to clarify causal relationships, though the approach remains influential in public health and wellness discussions.