Review of Well-Being in the Context of Suicide Prevention and Resilience
Abstract
Well-being is generally recognized as a vital and multi-dimensional component of health in both civilian and military contexts. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Moreover, well-being has been identified as a critical aspect of military readiness by the recent United States Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Task Force and the current Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. However, the concept of well-being poses challenges, including the lack of universally accepted definitions, its multi-dimensional structure, and the broad, eclectic understanding of health that it implies. This review will include a summary of 1) definitions, 2) dimensions, and 3) measures of well-being. This paper will also review the well-being literature in the context of both suicide risk/prevention and resilience in order to better understand the concept of well-being and how it relates to preventing suicide and enhancing resilience. In addition, this work will provide practical tools and recommendations for enhancing well-being and resilience in military groups, while reducing the risk for negative outcomes such as suicide.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA582882
Entities
People
- Mark J. Bates
- Stephen V. Bowles