Well-being has been traditionally considered a multidimensional construct linked with different well-being capacities and the satisfaction of basic human needs. However, theories of well-being have in general rested on a dichotomous differentiation between ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ mental health, rather than seeing these as natural, dynamically occurring experiences part of a well-being process (i.e., growth). Therefore, this article suggests a growth theory of well-being, seeing well-being as a dynamic process of differentiation and integration, which were previously established as fundamental elements of various theories of change, personal growth, cognitive development and more. This article outlines the growth theory of well-being and its component processes of differentiation and integration, reviewing their roles in earlier growth theories. It then discusses the implications of adopting the growth theory of well-being.
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