Yurchenko N.I. Review of the J. Shin, U. Halbreich, D.V. Jeste’s article “Positive global mental health: an overview”

An review of the article by scientists from the United States, “Positive global mental health: an overview,” is presented. The authors of the article – Jeonghyun Shin, Uriel Halbreich, Dilip V. Jeste – note that most healthcare systems currently operate primarily on the principle of responding to problems that have already arisen, focusing mainly on eliminating symptoms. The main emphasis is placed on diseases, disorders, disabilities, and risk factors, while personal and societal strengths, positive psychosocial qualities, preventive and protective mechanisms, as well as the maintenance of well-being, remain insufficiently studied and receive limited professional support. Such a pathology-oriented approach may widen the gap between the growing healthcare needs of rapidly urbanizing populations and the number of qualified healthcare professionals.

Particular importance is attached to identifying and developing individuals’ internal resources, such as psychological resilience, wisdom, an optimistic outlook on life, compassion, spirituality, and a sense of purpose. Equally important are strong social connections and support from others. Scientific evidence convincingly demonstrates that positive psychosocial factors significantly influence health: they help reduce the likelihood of mental disorders, improve the long-term course of illnesses, and contribute to the recovery of people suffering from severe mental and physical diseases.

Early prevention of mental disorders can be successfully implemented in practice. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop strategies that take into account the cultural characteristics and needs of specific communities, applying the most appropriate methods of support and intervention for them. Such approaches should consider both the common biological mechanisms underlying mental illnesses across different countries and the differences in the manifestation of diseases and the needs of representatives of various cultures and communities.

Current data on the global prevalence of loneliness, social isolation, suicidal behavior, and substance abuse indicate the urgent need to develop effective support measures both at the individual and societal levels. These measures should aim to improve the quality of life and psychological well-being of the entire population, including people with mental disorders.

Among the promising directions for such interventions are the creation of favorable conditions for older adults, the development of intergenerational interaction, and the use of digital technologies to strengthen social connections, expand social support, and improve overall health.

The authors unanimously conclude that medicine and psychiatry should shift their primary focus from studying diseases and risk factors toward supporting well-being, strengthening health, and fostering positive and protective factors.

Key words: communities, wisdom, resilience, social connections, loneliness, transcultural interventions

For citation: Yurchenko, N.I. (2026). Review of the J. Shin, U. Halbreich, D.V. Jeste’s article “Positive global mental health: an overview”. New Psychological Research, No. 2, 251–263. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2026_06_02_13

Acknowledgment

The article was prepared within a state task, project FNRE-2024-0016 “Psychological effects of digitalization of the educational environment: opportunities for cognitive and personal development and socialization risks”.