Overcoming the Utopian Perspectives on Health: Health Must Also Include States of Unwell-Being

Abstract

Background

Equating health with complete physical, mental and social well-being, as defined by the WHO, has played an important role in the development of healthcare systems in Western countries. However, this definition has contributed to the rise of the myth of well-being, increasing the demand on healthcare systems and raising the risk of medicalizing all aspects of life. Additionally, equating health with complete well-being is conceptually flawed for two important reasons.

Aim

The aim of this article is to move beyond this utopian vision, which has led to negative consequences for both individual health and the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Methods

This article analyses the most relevant definitions of health proposed in the scientific literature over the last 50 years.

Findings

There have been some attempts within the WHO itself to reduce the utopian content of its definition, but these efforts have not yielded significant results. Outside the WHO, many different proposals have emerged, including those that incorporate malaise into the concept of health. Nevertheless, none of the definitions proposed in the last 50 years have achieved widespread consensus.

Discussion and Implications for Practice

While there are various approaches to defining health, the crucial issue is that each definition should include states of unwell-being. Incorporating this perspective would represent a paradigm shift in the field of health, fostering more realistic expectations and reducing the risk of medicalization.