Beyond the Coping Role of Sense of Coherence: The Case of Needs-Based Crafting

Posted by Georg Bauer, Anja Lehmann, Martin Tušl

Traditionally, the salutogenic model has been associated with fortifying individuals against adversity. In this case, the core concept of salutogenesis – Sense of Coherence (SOC) – helps to cope with and overcome difficulties in life by identifying and mobilizing resistance resources. But could SOC do more than just shield us from harm? Could SOC enable individuals not only to survive but also to thrive in today’s dynamic world as has been suggested by an earlier position paper of the IUHPE Global Working Group on Salutogenesis (Bauer et al., 2020)?

 In the field of occupational health psychology, the concept of needs-based crafting refers to intentional and purposeful changes we make in our work and nonwork roles to fulfill our psychological needs. These are related to recovery from our intensive live experiences, for example, at work (detachment, relaxation) and to our needs for self-fulfillment and growth (autonomy, mastery, meaning, affiliation).  By crafting our work and nonwork domains, we can proactively enhance our health and wellbeing via psychological needs sastisfaction (de Bloom et al., 2020). Related to the salutogenic model of health, this raises the question if SOC could not only aid in coping with stressors but also support individuals in proactively crafting their own life situation to satisfy their psychological needs.

We tested this assumption in a study (Tušl, de Bloom, & Bauer, 2021) with longitudinal data from employees in Switzerland and Germany, looking at the causal relationships between SOC, needs-based crafting in the nonwork domain (i.e., off-job crafting), and mental well-being. The study showed a significant connection – SOC enhances off-job crafting efforts and off-job crafting strengthens employee wellbeing. This shows that the well-established relationship between SOC and mental well-being is at least partially mediated by the pro-active behavior of crafting for psychological needs satisfaction in the nonwork domain.

From practitioners’ perspective, needs-based crafting is not just a theoretical concept, it’s a practical framework that can empower individuals to shape their work and nonwork experiences in line with their inner needs and aspirations. By understanding and integrating this strategy into our professional lives, we can journey towards enhanced well-being, personal growth, and a more fulfilling life. Future research will need to identify, how crafting on and off the job can be promoted.

To assess your own psychological needs, visit: https://psyche.co/guides/why-you-should-forget-work-life-balance-in-crafting-a-good-life

References

Bauer, G. F., Roy, M., Bakibinga, P., Contu, P., Downe, S., Eriksson, M., … & Vinje, H. F. (2020). Future directions for the concept of salutogenesis: a position article. Health Promotion International, 35(2), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz057

de Bloom, J., Vaziri, H., Tay, L., & Kujanpää, M. (2020). An identity-based integrative needs model of crafting: Crafting within and across life domains. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(12), 1423-1446. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000495

Tušl, M., de Bloom, J., & Bauer, G. F. (2022). Sense of coherence, off-job crafting, and mental well-being: A path of positive health development. Health Promotion International, 37(6), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daac159