Book ‘Foundations of Social Health Knowledge’ Published

According to the correspondent of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Qazvin, the book “Foundations of Social Health Knowledge” is part of the author’s doctoral dissertation, titled “Promoting Social Health of Media Audiences by Developing a Media Management Model,” guided by Bita Shah Mansouri and advised by Ali Akbar Farhangi and Parisa Tajali, professors in the field of psychology.

Shayestehnia has written in the introduction to this book: “In recent decades, the concept of ‘social health,’ as one of the fundamental dimensions of public health, has gained a special place in social sciences, psychology, and public policy studies. Social health not only refers to the quality of individual interactions with the social environment but also serves as a key indicator for measuring social cohesion, public trust, civic participation, and a sense of belonging to the community. In fact, social health is a reflection of society’s capacity to create stable, supportive relationships based on mutual respect among individuals.

Deviations and social harms, including addiction, violence, delinquency, divorce, running away from home, and social isolation, often emerge in environments where social health is impaired or structurally weak.

Interdisciplinary research has shown that a decrease in social capital, weakening of support institutions, breakdown of family and local connections, and lack of opportunities for social participation contribute to the emergence of maladaptive behaviors and deviations from social norms.

In this context, social health plays a preventive and interventional role. Societies where individuals benefit from adequate social support, have equal opportunities for participation, and experience a sense of security and belonging are significantly less exposed to social harms. Strengthening social health through public education, development of civil institutions, promotion of social justice, and rebuilding public trust can lead to a significant reduction in deviance rates.”

The book “Foundations of Social Health Knowledge” has 10 chapters, and the author has tried to explain health and its place in human life after presenting terms and vocabulary in the field of social health, and to analyze physical health, mental health, spiritual health, and sexual health.

In the fourth chapter of the book, after providing a comprehensive definition of social health using theories and perspectives of experts and sociologists, the author discusses various approaches to social health. In the fifth chapter, he elaborates on and analyzes “Factors Affecting Social Health” such as social capital, social support, human capital, social isolation, and lifestyle.

In the sixth chapter, Shayestehnia addresses the pathology of social health and attempts to clarify the extent of the impact of factors such as administrative corruption, embezzlement, violence, murder, divorce, spousal abuse, child abuse, suicide, and rape on social health and determine their share.

In subsequent chapters, the author has endeavored to present strategies for promoting social health in reducing social harms by stating social health indicators such such as social flourishing, social solidarity, social cohesion, social participation, and social acceptance, and theoretical perspectives in the field of social health.

In the final chapter of the book, with the aim of providing strategies for promoting social health, the author introduces tools for measuring and indicators of individuals’ social health.

This book has been published in 174 pages and 500 copies and released to the book market.