The Human Flourishing Program

Very grateful to Philanthropy Roundtable for the opportunity to be featured in the Mental Health Playbook.

Last chance to register for tomorrow's webinar with Professor Tyler VanderWeele, author of A Theology of Health!   Time and Date: Australia, 9 October 8am AEDT/USA, 8 October 5pm EDT Register: https://lnkd.in/gHDqNanc Cost: Free Click here for a PDF flyer: https://lnkd.in/gcCMA7yf   Professor VanderWeele joins us from the US to introduce his new book, A Theology of Health: Wholeness and Human Flourishing. Winner of the Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Research Center Book Award, A Theology of Health brings philosophy, theology, empirical research and clinical expertise together to present a Christian understanding of health—both of the body, and of the person—as the wholeness intended by God, but marred by sin.    This not-to-be-missed webinar is co-hosted with the de Nicola Centre for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.   Tyler J. VanderWeele is the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and director of the Human Flourishing Program and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at Harvard University. He is author and co-author of several books, including Measuring Well-Being and the Handbook of Religion and Health.   Praise for A Theology of Health:   "A watershed book. ... If this book is given its due, it could mark the beginning of a new and even stunning moment—one that makes space for explicitly theological ideas and reflection within the highest-level academic discussions of health." —Professor Charles C. Camosy, Public Discourse.

Read more to be persuaded about the key role of love in the promotion of human flourishing. Congratulations Matthew T. Lee and Tyler VanderWeele for this important work!

In a historic move, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has formally recognized moral injury in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). This update expands the category of “Religious or Spiritual Problem” to “Moral, Religious, or Spiritual Problem”, acknowledging the deep psychological harm that can result from ethical violations and moral distress. Thank you to Dr. Tyler J. VanderWeele , Ph.D and his team at the The Human Flourishing Program for their tireless work and commitment to this giant leap forward in addressing the moral injury crisis. Read the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eDB-MXWb As a nurse scientist, educator, and advocate, this recognition hits close to home. I’ve spent the past 2 decades exploring the concept of RESILIENCE as it relates to nurses, nursing students, and nursing faculty. In the past few years, this work has primarily focused on nursing faculty and academic nurse leaders who are increasingly at risk for moral injury. In academic environments, many educators face moral injury when forced to compromise their values. In a forthcoming article, Dr. Diana Layne, PhD, RN, CPHQ, LSSBB and I will share excerpts of the qualitative data from our national study to highlight the sources of moral distress in nursing faculty, often stemming from feeling forced to compromise our ethics and values (Fighting to Do What’s Right). 💬 Moral injury is not burnout. It’s the internal conflict and psychological harm that arises when we cannot act in accordance with our ethical beliefs due to systemic constraints. It’s betrayal—by institutions, policies, or leadership—that leaves lasting emotional and professional scars. With this DSM classification, we now have language, legitimacy, and hopefully, pathways to healing. Thank you to all of our colleagues at the Human Flourishing project who have advocated for this major step forward in addressing this healthcare workforce crisis. 📣 Let’s use this moment to advocate for: • Ethical leadership in Higher Education • Safe spaces for faculty to speak up • Mental health support tailored to moral distress • A recommitment to human-centered education To my fellow nurse educators: your integrity matters. Your voice matters. And now, your pain has a name—and recognition. #MoralInjury #DSM #APA #NursingEducation #MentalHealth #EthicsInAcademia #HumanFlourishing #LeadershipMatters⸻

Research directed by Professor Tyler VanderWeele and Dr. Jennifer Wortham has led to the inclusion of "moral problems" in the DSM-5. "Our hope is that this new DSM Z-code opens important opportunities for awareness and treatment of moral trauma, moral distress, and moral injury." Join our webinar series (link in the comments) to help unpack the clinical and policy implications of this landmark development. https://lnkd.in/g37GumcZ

Time flies when you are having fun - check out the last reflection from the 2025 Oxford Vivarium. We are already scheming for next year!

Read all about Day 4 of the Vivarium!

Enjoy a little summary of Day 2 & 3 of the Human Flourishing Program's Oxford Vivarium!

Check out our latest research update on flourishing at the end of life. "As health declines and as death approaches, one will certainly not be flourishing in a perfect sense, but one can arguably flourish in a qualified or conditional sense, conditional on that end-of-life context. We should perhaps pay more attention to these other aspects of flourishing in end-of-life settings. Flourishing is multi-dimensional, and we will be neglecting opportunities to flourish if we consider only health as the end of life approaches." https://lnkd.in/gffbe7JA