The University of Wisconsin-Superior will host Emory University professor emeritus of sociology Corey Keyes for a free virtual presentation “Languishing to Flourishing: Mental Health on the Continuum” on Tuesday, October 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Registration is available online.

Keyes has spent his career studying the causes and costs of languishing – the neglected middle child of mental health. Having written the first definitive book on the subject, he examines and presents an innovative approach to breaking the cycles keeping us stuck and finding a path to true flourishing. Unlike self-improvement systems offering quick-fix mood boosts and failing healthcare system focused on treating rather than preventing illness, his framework focuses on functioning well: taking simple but powerful steps to hold our emotions loosely, becoming more accepting of ourselves and others, and carving out daily moments for the activities that create cycles of meaning, connection, and personal growth.

As a member of the prestigious international MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development and Aging, Keyes has participated in several National Academies of Science initiatives – “The Future of Human Healthspan” and improving national statistics to measure recovery from mental illness. 

Keyes organized and co-hosted the first Summit of Positive Psychology held in 1999 at the Gallup Organization. His research introduced the concepts of social well-being, flourishing, the two continua model of mental health and illness, and his work is being used to prevent mental illness via the promotion of positive (flourishing) mental health.

This event is presented by UW-Superior’s Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being and sponsored by the Student Behavioral Health Initiative, a Universities of Wisconsin priority to support student emotional health and well-being.