What is positive mental health?

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A broader definition

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which an individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to their community”¹.

Mental health is therefore not merely the absence of a mental disorder: it has a positive dimension, made of well-being and flourishing. This is what we call positive mental health.
Yet it cannot be reduced to a simple “state of well-being” either. The work of Corey Keyes has shown that mental well-being and mental disorder are not the two ends of a single line, but two distinct dimensions: this is the two-continua model (detailed below). One can therefore experience well-being, with or without a disorder. This is the double perspective that the definition proposed by this site embraces: it describes a process, not a state. This site thus proposes a reference definition:

“Positive mental health is a process whereby a person deploys their psychological resources and experiences well-being, with or without mental disorder, within a life in resonance with the world, self, and others.” E. Bélot-Grimaud, PhD, reference definition of positive mental health (22 July 2026)

The WHO definition mentions the ability to work productively and to contribute to one’s community. The definition proposed here extends that vision while shifting several accents:
- from a state to a process that can be cultivated;
- from a value measured by usefulness to a value in itself, because it belongs to a fully lived life;
- from a purely human circle (“the community”) to a wider one: the connection with the world, self, and others.

Understanding the definition, dimension by dimension

This definition condenses several ideas. Unfolding it helps grasp each of its dimensions.

- “A process”, not “a state”. Positive mental health is not a level you reach once and for all: it is a movement, something that unfolds, is nourished and readjusts throughout life. That is why it can be cultivated.

- “Deploys their psychological resources”. The starting point is not what is missing, but what is alive and available within us. This resource-based approach, which researchers call salutogenesis, does not ask “what do I lack?” but “what can I lean on, and how can I make it grow?”. These resources are detailed below (the three families of resources).

- “Experiences well-being”. Well-being here is something lived and felt, not a performance to achieve. And “experiences” matters: it is a share of well-being, not a permanent, compulsory happiness. One can feel it even when everything is not perfect. The PERMA model², below, describes its concrete levers.

- “With or without mental disorder”. This is the heart of Corey Keyes’s two-continua model³: one can flourish while living with a disorder, and have no disorder without feeling fully alive. Positive mental health therefore concerns everyone (see the section below).

- “Within a life in resonance”. Resonance, a word borrowed from the sociologist Hartmut Rosa, describes a living relationship with the world: being touched by what surrounds us, and being able to respond to it. It is neither perfect harmony nor the absence of friction: one can resonate in disagreement, in effort or while going through an ordeal. This is what makes this health “positive” without making it smooth.

- “With the world, self, and others”. Three fundamental connections answer one another:

• the connection with the world as it presents itself to us, and with the living world: nature, our environments, everything our health depends on (a perspective aligned with the One Health approach⁴);
• the connection with oneself: listening to, understanding and attuning to oneself;
• the connection with others: the relationships that carry us.

Positive mental health arises from the quality of these three connections, not from inner life alone. These three dimensions, being in the world, with oneself and with others, form a framework rooted in phenomenological philosophy. On this site, they are brought together with the concepts of positive psychology within the Beau Bien Bon® method (in French).

The two-continua model

The researcher Corey Keyes showed that mental illness and mental well-being are not the two ends of a single line, but two distinct dimensions³. So one can:

• Live without a mental disorder but without real flourishing: a state he calls languishing;
• Live with a disorder while still cultivating some well-being and a meaningful life;
• Move towards flourishing: feeling good and functioning well.

This model is a hopeful one: caring for your positive mental health is worthwhile for everyone, whether or not you are going through a difficult time.

The PERMA model of well-being

The psychologist Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, proposes five pillars of well-being, summarised by the acronym PERMA²:

• P: Positive emotions (joy, gratitude, serenity);
• E: Engagement: those moments when we are fully absorbed in an activity (the state of “flow”);
• R: positive Relationships with others;
• M: Meaning: the sense of contributing to something greater than oneself;
• A: Accomplishment: making progress and reaching goals that matter to us.

These pillars offer a compass: there is no need to balance everything perfectly, only to notice which one you would like to nourish a little more.

Why it “can be cultivated”

Our brain remains able to change throughout life (neuroplasticity). Small regular practices, a moment of gratitude, a walk, a call to a loved one, gradually steer our attention and habits towards well-being. Positive mental health is like a garden: it is nourished by small, repeated acts of care rather than by great one-off efforts.

This site’s approach: the three families of resources

This website is based on a simple guide developed by Elisabeth Bélot-Grimaud, PhD in psychology: the three families of resources for positive mental health. This framework extends the work of the WHO, Keyes and Seligman by specifying what positive mental health is built from: the interaction between biological, cognitive and psychological resources, which can be cultivated throughout life.

Frequently asked questions

What is positive mental health?

“Positive mental health is a process whereby a person deploys their psychological resources and experiences well-being, with or without mental disorder, within a life in resonance with the world, self, and others.” (E. Bélot-Grimaud) It can be cultivated throughout life.

What is the difference between positive mental health and the absence of mental illness?

According to Corey Keyes’s two-continua model, mental illness and mental well-being are two distinct dimensions. One can live without a disorder but without real flourishing (a “languishing” state), or live with a disorder while still cultivating some well-being. The aim is to move towards “flourishing”: feeling good and functioning well.

What is the PERMA model?

Proposed by Martin Seligman, the PERMA model describes five pillars of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment.

Can positive mental health be cultivated?

Yes. Thanks to neuroplasticity, small regular practices (a moment of gratitude, a walk, a call to a loved one) gradually steer attention and habits towards well-being.

Further reading

• The Three Families of Resources for Positive Mental Health, the framework behind this site;
• Dr Elisabeth Bélot-Grimaud’s website;
• French and Francophone Association for Positive Psychology (AFfPP).

This page is for general information. It does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. If you are going through a difficult time, please speak to your doctor or, if you are in France, call the 3114 (suicide prevention, free, 24/7). Outside France, contact your local emergency services.