On balance: lifestyle, mental health and wellbeing

Abstract

Given the supremacy of the biomedical model in defining our understanding and treatment of a wide range of physcial and psychological disorders, it is perhaps curious that simultaneously, scientists, clinicians, governments and patients routinely employ the concepts of “lifestyle” and “balance” to try to explain the causes of bodily disease and psychological disorder. Concurrently, the health advantages that are assumed to be inherent in a “balanced life” have been exploited by a rapidly expanding consumer market in “wellbeing”—by companies and individuals promoting food supplements, “wearable fitness”, diet trends and the self-help material. Exploring the tension between the biomedical doctrine and the parallel preoccupation with balance and lifestyle has provided the impetus for this special issue. Emerging originally from papers presented at an interdisciplinary conference held at the University of Exeter in June 2015, and augmented by two further comment pieces, the collection of articles aims to explore the ways in which changing notions of “balance” have been used to understand the causes of mental illness; to rationalise new approaches to its treatment; and to validate advice relating to balance in work and family life.

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health-related quality of life amongst Iranian patients with beta thalassemia major: a grounded theory

“…There are societal, cultural, and medical norms and expectations of what defines reasonable quality in their psychological, physical, and mental wellness. However, each of these patients will also have their own unique perspectives that are manifested in their day-to-day life (Haggett, 2016). Three key principles give relevance and meaning to this definition: well-being balance is subjective, well-being balance is dynamic, and resilience underpins their ability to maintain well-being balance.…”

Making sense of health in PE: conceptions of health among Swedish physical education teachers

“…The theme health as wellbeing captures a wide range of accounts that relate to the general idea of wellbeing as a matter of balance between physical, mental and social aspects in life (Hagget, 2016). The way wellbeing is articulated also reflects ideas from positive psychology (Lomas, 2016).…”