The Centre for Positive Health Sciences at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has launched an updated and enriched version of its acclaimed online course The Science of Health and Happiness.

The course, freely available to participants around the world, aims to impart the latest findings in the field of positive health to foster better health and well-being.

Spanning 11 weeks, the course will cover a range of topics including whole-person health, meaning and purpose, practical health tools, and meditation, offering strategies for participants to incorporate these principles into their daily lives. 

Since it was first launched in 2021, The Science of Health and Happiness registered over 31,000 people from across the world. In participant feedback, 100% said they would recommend the course to a friend and 95% said the course helped maintain or improve their mental health.

For 2024, the course has been thoroughly updated and re-recorded to include the most up-to-date science as well as some new topics. Experts from the Centre for Positive Health Sciences will now also discuss improving your happiness and health at work and the role of the arts in enhancing well-being.

Latest research

Professor Ciaran O'Boyle, Centre Director, highlighted the importance of the course: “Modern lifestyles can often challenge our well-being, so understanding the science behind health and happiness is crucial. This course aims to make the latest research accessible to everyone, providing practical tools for improving personal well-being." 

Dr Trudy Meehan, Senior Clinical Psychologist added: “Positive health is a body of research that is constantly growing so we are delighted to bring the latest evidence to The Science of Health and Happiness participants, carefully curated by our team. We want to help individuals unlock their capacity to thrive and improve their joy and well-being.”

With 11 online episodes which will be released weekly, the course is free to all interested in learning about enhancing their health and happiness, allowing participants to learn at their own pace.

Established in 2019, the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences is a unique academic centre that combines the scientific principles of positive psychology, positive organisational scholarship and lifestyle medicine to enhance health and well-being. The Centre delivers several part-time academic programmes in positive health for health and allied professionals.

For more information or to register for The Science of Health and Happiness please visit the webpage here.