More Family Physicians Use Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is a treatment approach that helps people live more fulfilled lives without resorting to medicine. It is an approach by which family physicians are able to help meet the gap in mental health services, and the use of positive psychology as a treatment by family physicians is a growing trend. By focusing on the happiness and well being of their patients, family practice physicians are finding ways to help improve health – both physical and mental – without resorting to prescriptions of mind altering substances and referrals.

Physicians have always communicated with their patients about their mental health needs, but it has often been to elicit the negative aspects of their lives. As positive psychology’s role in health becomes more obvious, more physicians are relying on the helping patients identify and communicate the positive parts of their life as a form of self-healing.

Much of the recent research reveals that happier people have a higher quality of life and a better sense of well being, and the relationship between mental health and physical health is strong. By the family physician taking a more active role in helping patients with their mental health, they are performing a preventative measure for the patient’s physical health as well.

Many positive psychologists advocate for a stronger emphasis to be placed on the importance of mental health when educating future family physicians and general practitioners. In fact, helping physicians focus on their own levels of happiness through positive psychology may make it more likely that they will apply the concepts when treating patients. Emotional well being is a critical component of overall health that can no longer be overlooked.