Wellness

Early Underpinnings of Wellness

The wellness movement began in the medical field, arising out of the desire to help people increase their wellness, not just treat illness. Halbert Dunn is sometimes referred to as the father of the wellness movement. In the late 1950s, he began lecturing on the concept of wellness. His work culminated with the publication, High Level Wellness, in 1961. Dunn noted that people are ill or they are striving for higher levels of wellness and functioning. He also recognized the influence of mental, spiritual, and social factors as either promoting or hindering higher levels of wellness. Throughout the 1970s, the concept of wellness began to gain more popularity. Building on Dunn’s work, John Travis developed a model based on an illness/wellness continuum. One end of this continuum included a high level of wellness, while the other end led to illness and death. He identified personal responsibility as a catalyst for improved health and wellness and coached people on how to attain higher levels of wellness independently.

By the late 1970s, Donald Ardell had developed a series of wellness models. He suggested that people who are ill could still make healthy lifestyle decisions that could lead to greater physical and mental well-being. These healthy lifestyle choices, which include factors such as exercise, being thoughtful, optimism, empowerment, and being attuned to one’s culture, can lead to freedom from illness and a more holistic and happy life. Ardell was a proponent of moving beyond the medical model, in which the focus of wellness was on prevention and how to assess problems. Up until this point, culture was not included in the wellness paradigm. Later models expanded on Ardell’s work, and culture soon became an important cornerstone of wellness.

[Page 1582]Contributions from the field of psychology during the early to mid-20th century were also significant influences in the wellness movement. Abraham Maslow’s concept of self-actualization and Gordon Allport’s concept of self-esteem and having healthy social/emotional connections with others began to create what we know today as the underpinnings of mental well-being. Medical doctor and psychotherapist Alfred Adler also influenced the wellness paradigm in psychology with his work in the early 20th century. Adler stressed a strength-based holistic approach to understanding and treating people, believing that people strive to contribute socially. Giving to one’s community is the hallmark of a healthy person.

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