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It is a rapidly spreading belief that health depends primarily on psychological well-being: in 2008, three out of ten Italians thought so, and in 2018, according to Censis data, it was seven out of ten. It’s not absurd to think that the percentages are probably even higher today. But what does this belief depend on that translates into well-being?
The question finds some answers in the scientific field. Since experimental psychology laboratories were established at the end of the 19th century to apply the methods of modern science to the study of the human mind and behavior, we have known more and more about the functioning of the psyche.
We know, for example, that the development of the brain and body, as well as that of the psyche, are deeply intertwined and interdependent. We also know that the evolution of our species has focused on the development of the psychological dimension as a strategy not only for survival, that is, for the defense of life as such, but also for the development and quality of existence, that is, for building adaptive balances. Aristotle already stated that psychology is the science that comes closest to life in its fullest and most complete dimension of existence. Today we have fundamental confirmations, such as those that link psychological processes with genetic ones, with the expression of DNA or with the way we read, interact with and react to the things in the world.
With the emergence of public medicine, the body has become the object of social attention, both in terms of treatment and, more recently, prevention and promotion of physical well-being, for example physical activity and nutrition. In other words, to be healthy it is not enough not to be sick, but it is important to invest in health, since most illnesses are related to our behavior and lifestyle. As social contexts have changed, health risk factors have also changed: lack of exercise or overeating were certainly not social problems in the past.
But all this also happened for the psyche: it is not necessary to have a mental pathology to feel mentally ill, and the absence of an illness is not enough to feel good. The psyche does not develop and structure itself independently of the quality of the relationships, the context and the ingredients it receives and procures. We can have both a fragile mind and a fragile body, even in the absence of illness.
Today’s world requires an open and inflamed psyche to navigate complexity, make conscious decisions, develop and realize one’s potential, while the context is increasingly less likely to provide the right ingredients, as is the case with the body, he pushes us into a psychological, sedentary lifestyle and exposes us to a useless overfeeding of stimuli that are more intoxicating than providing the right nutrients to subjectivity.
Therefore, society must find new answers to prevent the deterioration of human capital, invest in mental health starting at school and support families. Mental well-being is not a buzzword or something you come across by chance, it is something that nature can build admirably if the context does not hinder it, and today there is a need to help nature in its work.
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