The Akumal Manifesto

Does the word ‘mental health' bring to your mind a gloomy mental hospital or treatment facility with delusional patients? Does the thought of a psychologist make you jittery? Well, mental health, as per modern definitions, is not bound to the strange realms of mental illnesses alone, just the way physical health is not limited to being free of hospitizable disease. Just the way a healthy body will be active, and energetic, and want to make itself available for a constructive cause, a healthy mind will often be in a state of well-being and will always endeavour self-actualization.?

Prof. Martin E.P. Seligman expanded the focus of psychology beyond mental ill-health to enhancing the quality of life by researching on the psychological factors that led to joy, contentment, satisfaction, meaningfulness, success, and worthiness in life, in general. With other psychologists who researched similar areas, Seligman concretized a vision of improving the quality of mental health in the form of a manifesto called the Akumal Manifesto, also known as Positive Psychology Manifesto in January 2000, in his presidential address at Akumal, Mexico.?