Hitchhiker’s Guide to Salutogenesis

Posted by: Bengt Lindström

In 2010 the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Salutogenesis (HHG) was published by Bengt Lindström and Monica Eriksson. This was the first time we presented salutogenesis with both theory and scientific evidence in a comprehensive short book aimed at professionals in Public Health and Health Promotion practice. The need was evident because there were very few books at the time and they tended to be directed to scientific and research audiences. A few years earlier Monica had defended her Academic thesis (Unraveling the Mystery of Salutogenesis) where a systematic review of the contemporary research literature was presented. The same year the IUHPE Global Working Group on Salutogenesis (GWG) was established, 2007. We were for a time the only two who run the GWG from Helsinki, Finland. Looking back much has happened with salutogenesis. The 10 000 copies of the HHG are long gone. The book has been translated into 8 languages, English, Spanish, Catalan, French, Norwegian, Italian, Polish and German. There are now two Editions of the massive Handbook on Salutogenesis not to mention the thousands of publications on the theme, the Global Working Group has a true global representation, STARS society and, most important, the variety of salutogenic practice all over the globe where WHO also has endorsed the approach.  The overall focus has also shifted with the Millennium Goals, climate change and new challenges to health where the salutogenic framework even can be adapted to Planetary Health.

One could think a second edition of the HHG would not be necessary. The originl HHG focused on how well the theoretical framework fitted the principles of the Ottawa Charter giving it a core theory and further demonstrate how evidence responded to each of the five action areas of Health Promotion.  However, everything is not only sunshine. Most areas that influence health are beyond the traditional health sectors where also the salutogenic framework can operate. However, in spite of the solid evidence of its effectiveness the salutogenic model to health has not had as large an  impact on the field of health services yet, not to speak of medicine. People still feel suspicious, you cannot look at health from a different perspective than the classic disease/ health axis and still improve health services more in line with the need of the population and the groups of people suffering from health problems, Therefore we have consulted some of the key people involved in Health Promotion policy and practice and we have received the response the HHF is still unique, there is a need to follow it up. This means we have started the process of editing a new edition. In general people felt we do not have to change much of the contents but we feel we want to show what has happened with salutogenesis over the past decade. We will use the knowledge of new research evidence, we will use the minds of members of the Global Woking Group and some other persons to update the book.

So please have a little patience and the New Edition will turn up within 2024 this time as an open access edition.

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