Health is an overall sense of well-being that includes mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It is a dynamic process that requires balance and adaptation to life events. It is influenced by internal and external resources. It is determined by individual perceptions of and responses to health problems. It is distinct from functional limitations, yet it includes both functional capacity and a person’s desire and ability to function.
Historically, the definition of health has been focused on the absence of disease in individuals, reflecting the medical model of healthcare. This approach is insufficient as it ignores a range of factors that are relevant to achieving and maintaining good health.
There was a shift in the 1980s from viewing disease as a state to viewing health in dynamic terms of resiliency, which led to the development of the field of Health Promotion. The resiliency definition of health is based on the assumption that the human body and mind are resourceful and can adapt to a variety of situations.
As a result, this new definition of health allows for the development of policies and programs that aim to improve people’s ability to handle stress and maintain their physical and emotional well-being in the face of a changing environment. The emphasis on a broader context for evaluating health encourages greater attention to the determinants of health and fosters new questions. It also enables rehabilitation researchers to develop outcomes measures that are relevant to the full spectrum of health.