Coherence & Salutogenesis

1 December 2021

One interesting theory behind positive psychological interventions (PPI) is the Transactional Model of Stress (TMS) developed by Lazarus & Folkman (1984). The theoretical claim is that stress is “psychologically mediated” which means we have choices in how we register and categorize any stressful stimuli or event which Lazarus & Folkman (1984) describe as a two-part cognitive appraisal.

The first part is the primary appraisal which is determining whether the event was stressful or not stressful.  If the event was stressful, we then “...characterize that event in one of three ways: 1) harm, which refers to the fact that harm is already experienced, 2) threat, which is anticipated harm, and 3) challenge, which is the potential for mastery or gain” (Peeters et al., 2020, p. 4).

The secondary appraisal happens so quickly it is almost simultaneous and “...the basic question here is ‘Can I cope?’  When an individual assesses her available resources as sufficient to deal with the situation, the situation is deemed challenging” (Ibid).  A challenging situation is manageable and results in positive thoughts, enthusiasm, and motivation.  If one feels incapable or overwhelmed, anxiety and rumination are sustained. 

I want to pause here to recap what’s been discussed.  This and last week’s blogs began as a continued explanation of PPIs specifically, use your resources and count your blessings.  To sustain a well-functioning psyche requires effort.  One way of deploying effort is through those PPIs.  Mental hygiene → effort → positive psychological interventions.  Good so far.

To succeed, PPIs, like use your resources and count your blessings require manageable or minimal stress.  But stress happens.  Lazarus & Folkman (1984) told us we appraise stress as we encounter it.  They imply that we have some choices about how we categorize stress.  But here’s the kicker. 

The initial research on mental hygiene led me back in time to Aaron Antonovsky (1923-1994) who wanted to understand how and why 29% of his tested Holocaust survivors had positive emotional health.  In the process of untangling this, he created a concept used in mental hygiene called salutogenesis (salus, Latin for health + genesis, Greek for birth). 

Salutogenesis has one major premise and three ancillary premises.  The major premise is that stress has to violate your sense of coherence before it can cause harm.  The three ancillary premises define one’s sense of coherence:

1. Comprehensibility: the conviction that life makes sense, is orderly, and predictable.
2. Manageability: the belief that you have the resources to keep your life under control.
3. Meaningfulness: a take on life as interesting, satisfying, and worth caring about.

It is the causal circularity of this argument that has so fascinated me.  As I intended to define and exemplify some useful PPIs, the internal argument led back to the causes of mental hygiene itself.  Which probably means there’s an integrity, or internal logic, to this concept that will likely have me studying it the remainder of my days.  I hope you share my enthusiasm.

Dan Chalykoff is working toward an M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology and accreditation in Professional Addiction Studies.  He writes these blogs to increase (and share) his own evolving understandings of ideas.  Since 2017, he has facilitated two voluntary weekly group meetings of SMART Recovery.

References

Lazarus & Folkman (1984) in Peeters et al., (2020).  Unread original source: Stress, Appraisal, and Coping, Springer.

Peeters, M. C. W., Steenbergen, E. F. van, Ybema, J. F. (2020). “Positive Psychological Micro-Interventions to Improve the Work-Family Interface: Use Your Resources and Count Your Blessings.”  Frontiers in Psychology.