Reset for health creation

The World Health Organization (WHO)'s (2006) definition of health as ‘complete physical, mental and social wellbeing rather than merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ is included in all healthcare professional curricula. Despite this, healthcare practice is almost entirely focused on curative activities. To an extent, this reflects that much healthcare practice occurs within hospital settings. However, demographic changes and the burgeoning population with long-term conditions necessitate that the neglect of health creation is addressed urgently to avert the inevitable consequences for both the individual and society as a whole. Further, the deficit approach to health—the identification of problems and needs, such as deprivation, ill-health and damaging health behaviours—has resulted in services being designed to deliver curative and supportive care rather than nurture creation and maintenance of health.

In contrast, the asset approach focuses upon health protection at different levels for individuals and communities that are likely to lead to improved overall health and wellbeing. Individual assets include self-esteem, sense of purpose and resilience, while community assets include support networks, such as the family and other relationships, inter-generational and community cohesion, religious tolerance and social harmony (Hopkins and Rippon, 2015). Community activities that exist tend to focus on health maintenance, rather than health creation and environments that are conducive to health, despite Antonovsky (1996) proposing the theory of salutogenesis to guide public health and health-promotion activities.