The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO)

A dynamic approach to mental health and wellness, ready for any clinician to implement.

Wellness is rapidly becoming an issue of great importance in clinical practice. Wellness-centric clinicians look to improve various traits known to be beneficial to patients― traits such as happiness, enthusiasm, resilience, and optimism (referred to as the HERO traits). All of these not only improve global mental wellness, but also offer resilience against stress, depression, and anxiety. Wellness-centric interventions augment both psychopharmacology and traditional psychotherapies, such as CBT.

Rakesh and Saundra Jain start with an in- depth review of the scientific literature and a practical introduction on applying wellness interventions in various clinical settings. Additionally, they offer advice on such beneficial practices as exercise, mindfulness, optimized nutrition, optimized sleep, enhanced socialization, and positive psychology enhancement. A robust resource section offers access to wellness-centric scales and forms developed by the authors.

Rakesh Jain, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Medical School. Jain lives in Lake Jackson, Texas.

Saundra Jain, PsyD, is the executive director of Mental Health Educational Initiative. Jain lives in Lake Jackson, Texas.