One interventional modality that is not well-integrated into health care and is underrepresented in health education programs is emotional well-being, also referred to as happiness, flourishing and resilience. Yet the evidence is mounting that it is a critical element for securing improved health outcomes—a key lever to boost and support health care systems in an era shifting towards value-based care.
Emotional well-being, not only provides the underpinnings for achieving and sustaining healthy habits, but also has a direct physiologic impact. Hence the burgeoning science of positive psychology can be harnessed in total healthy lifestyles prescriptions.
Moreover, physician burn-out is on the rise. Personal application of empirically-supported resilience interventions and empathetic clinical encounters, based in positive psychology, are crucial to support the health care workforce.
Therefore, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Dell Medical School are proud to announce the convening of health care innovators, lifestyle medicine and positive psychology experts, clinicians, and other key stakeholders to address this issue.
The luminaries Dean Ornish and Barbara Fredrickson will inspire us by laying out the foundation of the current science and future vision for harnessing positive psychology into health care to support total health.
The remainder of the event will focus on panel discussions and engage all participants, each representing the spectrum of key stakeholders.
This event is by invitation-only due to limited space and aim to convene a balanced representation of stakeholder groups and areas of expertise. Please complete the brief information section in the registration link.
We aim to:
- Highlight the empirical evidence on how resilience and happiness promote physical health and longevity
- Recommend practical strategies for implementing positive psychology interventions into health care
- Identify terms for these strategies that are meaningful and consistent for health care settings
- Publish a paper to launch a movement that promotes positive psychology interventions in health care
- Elevate attention to the science and relevance of positive psychology interventions on health outcomes
- Promote awareness through social media and other channels beyond the summit
- Kick start a program to train health care providers, provide clinical tools, highlight resources, and translate the evidence for practical application in medicine and health care