Toward a Unifying Theoretical and Practical Perspective on Well-Being and Psychosocial Adjustment.

Abstract

Exciting advances have been made in the study of psychological and subjective well-being. However, this literature has, curiously, had minimal impact on clinical/counseling practice or applied psychology, including counseling psychology-a subfield historically devoted to the concept of hygiology and the promotion of optimal human functioning. This article provides an overview and critique of various approaches to defining, conceptualizing, and studying well-being, including its correlates and presumed causes. Practical implications of the literature are considered. Provisional, integrative models of normative and restorative well-being are offered as vehicles for bridging the gap between basic research and practice. Suggestions are also offered for practice-friendly inquiry on well-being and for incorporating well-being as one ingredient of a multifaceted conception of mental health and positive adaptation.