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  • © 2022

The Handbook of Salutogenesis

  • Offers a comprehensive overview of salutogenesis theory, research, practice, and policy

  • Is written by experts at the Society for Theory and Research on Salutogenesis

  • Includes an extensive salutogenesis bibliography covering the period 1979 to the present

  • This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

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Softcover Book USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
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  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
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Hardcover Book USD 59.99
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  • Durable hardcover edition
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Table of contents (57 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
  2. Salutogenesis from Its Origins to the Present

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Salutogenesis From Its Origins to the Present

      • Maurice B. Mittelmark
      Pages 3-4Open Access
    3. Mileposts in the Development of Salutogenesis

      • Bengt Lindström
      Pages 5-9Open Access
    4. Salutogenesis as a Theory, as an Orientation and as the Sense of Coherence

      • Maurice B. Mittelmark, Georg F. Bauer
      Pages 11-17Open Access
    5. Aaron Antonovsky’s Development of Salutogenesis, 1979–1994

      • Hege Forbech Vinje, Eva Langeland, Torill Bull
      Pages 29-45Open Access
    6. Salutogenesis Post-Graduate Education: Experience From the European Perspective on the ETC-PHHP Health Promotion Summer Schools (1991–2020)

      • Lenneke Vaandrager, Anna Bonmatí-Tomàs, Arnd Hofmeister, Carlos Alvarez-Dardet, Paolo Contu, Maria Koelen et al.
      Pages 51-56Open Access
  3. Key Concepts in the Salutogenic Model of Health

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 57-57
    2. Key Concepts in the Salutogenic Model of Health

      • Monica Eriksson
      Pages 59-60Open Access
    3. The Sense of Coherence: Measurement Issues

      • Monica Eriksson, Paolo Contu
      Pages 79-91Open Access
    4. Generalized Resistance Resources in the Salutogenic Model of Health

      • Orly Idan, Monica Eriksson, Michal Al-Yagon
      Pages 93-106Open Access
    5. Specific Resistance Resources in the Salutogenic Model of Health

      • Maurice B. Mittelmark, Marguerite Daniel, Helga B. Urke
      Pages 107-114Open Access
  4. The Sense of Coherence in the Life Course

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115
    2. The Sense of Coherence in the Life Course

      • Claudia Meier Magistretti
      Pages 117-121Open Access
    3. Salutogenesis: Sense of Coherence in Childhood and Families

      • Orly Idan, Orna Braun-Lewensohn, Bengt Lindström, Malka Margalit
      Pages 123-138Open Access
    4. Salutogenesis and the Sense of Coherence During the Adolescent Years

      • Orna Braun-Lewensohn, Orly Idan, Bengt Lindström, Malka Margalit
      Pages 139-150Open Access

About this book

This open access book is a thorough update and expansion of the 2017 edition of The Handbook of Salutogenesis, responding to the rapidly growing salutogenesis research and application arena.



Revised and updated from the first edition are background and historical chapters that trace the development of the salutogenic model of health and flesh out the central concepts, most notably generalized resistance resources and the sense of coherence that differentiate salutogenesis from pathogenesis. From there, experts describe a range of real-world applications within and outside health contexts. Many new chapters emphasize intervention research findings. Readers will find numerous practical examples of how to implement salutogenesis to enhance the health and well-being of families, infants and young children, adolescents, unemployed young people, pre-retirement adults, and older people. A dedicated section addresses how salutogenesis helps tackle vulnerability, with chapters on at-risk children, migrants, prisoners, emergency workers, and disaster-stricken communities.  Wide-ranging coverage includes new topics beyond health, like intergroup conflict, politics and policy-making, and architecture.  The book also focuses on applying salutogenesis in birth and neonatal care clinics, hospitals and primary care, schools and universities, workplaces, and towns and cities. A special section focuses on developments in salutogenesis methods and theory.


With its comprehensive coverage, The Handbook of Salutogenesis, 2nd Edition, is the standard reference for researchers, practitioners, and health policy-makers who wish to have a thorough grounding in the topic. It is also written to support post-graduate education courses and self-study in public health, nursing, psychology, medicine, and social sciences. 



Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Maurice B. Mittelmark

  • Center of Salutogenesis, Division of Public and Organizational Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Georg F. Bauer

  • Department of Social Sciences, Health and Society, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Lenneke Vaandrager

  • University of Vienna, and WHO-Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion in Hospitals and Healthcare, Austrian National Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich GmbH), Vienna, Austria

    Jürgen M. Pelikan

  • Martin Springer Center for Conflict Studies, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel

    Shifra Sagy

  • Department of Health Sciences, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden

    Monica Eriksson

  • NTNU Center for Health Promotion Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Bengt Lindström

  • Centre for Health Promotion and Participation, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne, Switzerland

    Claudia Meier Magistretti

About the editors

Maurice B. Mittelmark is Professor Emeritus, Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway



Georg F. Bauer is Professor and Director, Center of Salutogenesis, Division of Public and Organizational Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland


Lenneke Vaandrager is Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Health and Society, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands


Jürgen M. Pelikan is Professor Emeritus, University of Vienna, and Head of WHO-Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion in Hospitals and Healthcare at the Austrian National Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich GmbH), Vienna, Austria


Shifra Sagy is Professor Emerita and Head, Martin Springer Center for Conflict Studies, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel


Monica Eriksson is Professor Emerita, Department of Health Sciences, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden


Bengt Lindström is Professor Emeritus, NTNU Center for Health Promotion Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway


Claudia Meier Magistretti is Professor, Centre for Health Promotion and Participation, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne, Switzerland

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Handbook of Salutogenesis

  • Editors: Maurice B. Mittelmark, Georg F. Bauer, Lenneke Vaandrager, Jürgen M. Pelikan, Shifra Sagy, Monica Eriksson, Bengt Lindström, Claudia Meier Magistretti

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79515-3

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Medicine, Medicine (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2022

  • License: CC BY

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-79514-6Published: 21 December 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-79517-7Published: 21 December 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-79515-3Published: 01 January 2022

  • Edition Number: 2

  • Number of Pages: XIX, 651

  • Number of Illustrations: 19 b/w illustrations, 71 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Medical Sociology, Health Psychology

Buy it now

Buying options

Softcover Book USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access