Narracyjna promocja zdrowia. Założenia teoretyczne, metody pracy, obszary zastosowań

Abstract

The aim of the text is to point out the theoretical and applicative potential for the health promotion as embraced by a nexus of three approaches: narrative, existential and life span developmental. The human mental health defined in existentially oriented narrative approach could be described in terms of cognitive ability and skill of construction (and cyclical re-construction) of individual “life story”, fulfilling some specific structural and contextual criteria as well as effectively “embodied” in a real individual’s life. The narrative model of mental health incorporates the polyphonic and dialogic nature of individual experience, which eventually leads to “internal democracy”. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of presence of the subjective and existential dimension of beneficial autobiographical narrations. The article characterizes basic directions and forms of realization of existentially oriented narrative approach to mental health promotion, taking into account leading psychological mechanisms of intentional influences, pointing to its potential benefits.