The Hitchhiker's Guide to Salutogenesis

This open access book is a comprehensive yet compact volume explaining both the theory of salutogenesis and key examples of its implementation. It mainly serves as an introduction to salutogenesis for newcomers but also would appeal to teachers and students of any profession attached to health, nursing, environmental, political, pedagogical and social sciences. The new edition is revised, updated and expanded with new areas of research.

The first edition was a unique publication linking salutogenesis to health promotion, giving it a theoretical foundation and exemplifying its use in the five core action areas of the Ottawa Charter and beyond. It published in 2010, whereafter the research area of salutogenesis has become widely accepted in most health sciences and as a theory foundation for health promotion. Since then, the number of scientific publications on salutogenesis has increased exponentially.

This second edition includes the latest updates in the field of salutogenesis and how salutogenesis offers a perspective to examine planetary health and sustainability in a concise and accessible way. Among the topics covered:

The Original Salutogenic Framework
The Orientation to Life Questionnaire - the Sense of Coherence (SOC)
Health, Mental Health and Quality of Life
Salutogenesis in the Context of Learning Processes
Salutogenesis in the Context of Work
Salutogenesis in the Context of Society
Critical Issues Related to the Salutogenic Theory and Its Implementation
Future Perspectives


The Hitchhiker's Guide to Salutogenesis: From the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion to Planetary Health is pertinent reading for health promotion professionals, nurses, social workers, living environment specialists, health policy makers, academics, students, and lecturers in the fields of health sciences, social sciences, health promotion and public health.