Achieving full psychological functioning: The dimension of personal growth

Abstract

The great medical advances achieved in the last decades have allowed an unusual increase in life expectancy in a large part of the world population, especially in developed countries. However, this remarkable improvement in the physical health of people contrasts with the high numbers of mental illnesses that plague in many contemporary societies. In order to prevent and reduce the high incidence of mental health problems, in recent years we are witnessing a growing interest in the scientific study of personal psychological resources as a guarantor of full psychological functioning. In line with this approach, numerous psychological proposals emphasize the importance of promoting the development of individual capacities and potentialities, to the extent that this dimension of personal growth stands as one of the most genuine and representative factors of psychological well-being. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of this core pillar of human well-being. Firstly, there is a brief historical journey of the personal growth construct, from its pioneering Aristotelian conception to its operationalization by relevant psychologists such as Maslow, Rogers, Jung or Frankl, among others. These contributions constitute the root for which contemporary psychology is nourished when explaining and defining this topic. In particular, and relying on different theories, approaches, and psychological currents widely accepted today, secondly, we analyze in this paper those resources most closely associated with personal growth, among which are self-determination, flow, mindfulness, compassion, and psychological capital.

Keywords

• personal growth
• psychological well-being
• positive psychological functioning
• personal resources
• prevention