[Social-medical significance of the concept of salutogenesis in neurology and psychiatry]

Abstract

The so-called "sense of coherence" (SOC) is the central idea of Antonovsky's concept of salutogenesis. The structure and the meaning of SOC for a person's ability to cope with stress are discussed as well as the overall health-promoting effect of SOC. At the end of the study's first part the question of proving the SOC empirically and of the SOC's construct validity are critically discussed. The second part of the article demonstrates the relevance of salutogenic mechanisms for psychiatry and neurology, especially regarding the social aspects of both disciplines. Health promotion and disease prevention are already important issues in the Mental Health Community. But also in neurology, which is much more grounded in the physical medicine than psychiatry, the concept of salutogenesis can help patients to prevent illness or to cope better with the consequences of diseases. Finally, the necessity to supply the current health care system in psychiatry and neurology with much more salutogenic input is questioned.