Mental health care is predominantly shaped by a pathogenic perspective, emphasizing symptoms, diagnoses, and risk factors. While this approach is indispensable, it often overlooks an equally important dimension of sustainable mental health care: meaning, coherence, and the activation of individual and professional resources. This conceptual presentation revisits the salutogenic model developed by Aaron Antonovsky and explores its relevance for contemporary mental health practice and leadership.
Based on clinical and leadership experience across different healthcare systems in Kosovo, Germany, and Luxembourg, the presentation illustrates how salutogenesis can be translated from a theoretical construct into a practical and reflective framework. Rather than focusing on empirical data, the talk adopts a narrative based approach, highlighting the historical background of salutogenesis, its core principles, and its applicability to everyday clinical work, team leadership, and professional self reflection.