We all want to be happy, although ‘happiness’ can mean very different things to different people.But what if I don't feel happy? Is my life less worthwhile? And is there such a thing as lasting happiness anyway?Western society places great emphasis on the pursuit of health, wealth and pleasure, with a general expectation that having these in abundance will lead directly to The Good Life. But anxiety, depression and loneliness are rife in our communities, and it is common fo...

This book provides an applied, interdisciplinary approach to an understanding of the key social determinants of health, essential at a time of increasing inequalities and reductions in existing NHS services and local authority budgets.A person's health and wellbeing is influenced by a spectrum of socioeconomic, cultural, living and working conditions, social and community networks and lifestyle choices. Based on the 'rainbow model' of the social determinants of health, chapters fro...