Mental Capital and Wellbeing

Cary Cooper · Usha Goswami · Barbara J. Sahakian

Aug 2009 · Sold by John Wiley & Sons

About this ebook

This major new reference presents The Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (a UK Government project in the Government Office for Science). It offers a comprehensive exploration of how mental capital and wellbeing operate over the lifespan; how experiences in the family, in school, at work and following retirement augment or reduce mental capital and wellbeing, and the impact that this has for the individual and for the welfare and economic progress of the nation.

Mental Capital and Wellbeingcomprises a series of scientific reviews written by leading international scientists and social scientists in the field. The reviews undertake systematic analyses of the evidence base surrounding five key themes, on which they propose future policies will have to be based. An internationally renowned team of Editors introduce each theme and draw together conclusions in terms of both policy and practice.

Section 1 (Mental Capital and Wellbeing Through Life) – Mental capital refers to the totality of an individual’s cognitive and emotional resources, including their cognitive capability, flexibility and efficiency of learning, emotional intelligence and resilience in the face of stress. The extent of an individual’s resources reflects his or her basic endowment (e.g. genes and early biological programming), motivation and experiences (e.g. education) which take place throughout the life course. This section presents the very latest on the science of mental capital throughout life.

Section 2 (Learning Through Life) provides a coherent overview of a fast-moving and complex field of policy and practice. Educational attainment has a considerable impact on physical and mental wellbeing, both directly and indirectly, by enabling people better to achieve their goals. The ability to continue learning throughout the lifespan is critical to a successful and rewarding life in contemporary societies.

Section 3 (Mental Health and Ill-Health) draws together the most recent evidence about positive mental health as well as a range of mental disorders to consider their importance to the population and economy in terms of prevalence and disability and the wider burden on society.

Section 4 (Wellbeing and Work) – It is estimated that 13 million working days are lost through stress each year, costing the economy over £3.7 billion per annum. This theme explores those drivers that influence the nature and structure of work and the impact this has on employee wellbeing.

Section 5 (Learning Difficulties) – This theme provides a cutting-edge picture of how recent insights from genetics, cognitive and neuroscience improve our understanding of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Reviews focus on how current research can contribute to early diagnosis and improved intervention.

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About the author

Cary L. Cooper, CBE is Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health and Pro Vice Chancellor at Lancaster University. He is the author of over 100 books (on occupational stress, women at work and industrial and organizational psychology), has written over 400 scholarly articles for academic journals, and is a frequent contributor to national newspapers, TV and radio. Cary is the Editor on the international journal ‘Stress and Health’ and President of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Usha Goswami is Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. She is currently engaged in setting up a Centre for Neuroscience in Education at the Faculty. She advised on the National Curriculum and the National Literacy Project, and was one of the three UK members of the Managing Committee of the European Concerted Action on Learning Disorders as a Barrier to Human Development (COST-A8).

Barbara J Sahakian is Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine. She has an international reputation in the fields of cognitive psychopharmacology, neuroethics, neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry and neuroimaging.

John Field is Professor in the Institute of Education, University of Stirling, where he directs the Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning. He has written widely in the social sciences, and specialises on social and economic aspects of adult learning.

Rachel Jenkins is Professor of Epidemiology and International Mental Health Policy at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London. She is the author of over 30 books and 300 scholarly articles, and works nationally and internationally on epidemiological and policy research, development and implementation of policy, and training primary care in low and middle income countries.