Introduction to the Symposium 'Health Resistance': The limits of contemporary health promotion

Abstract

This paper presents a brief introduction to the Symposium 'Health Resistance': The Limits of Contemporary Health Promotion. In particular, the concept of 'health resistance' is defined and its affinity with psychological reactance theory articulated. The relevance of the 'health resistance' concept is highlighted, particularly in a social context in which the general public appear to be becoming increasingly sceptical and distrustful towards science, medicine and health professionals. This introductory paper also seeks to further clarify the nature of 'health resistance'. Is it a product of individual psychological differences, or is it related more to the social and political context of particular subcultures or societies? Or is it a mixture of both? This Symposium addresses this question in relation to a variety of different health related domains and behaviours including mental health, unsafe sex, recreational drug use, smoking and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination. Finally, a number of moral and ethical questions are raised. How can and should health promoters respond to 'health resistance'?