Self-coherence: theoretical considerations of a new concept

The concept of self-coherence holds promise for nurse scholars interested in building psychosocial health theory. Self-coherence, a developmental personal resource that has been found to be related to psychosocial health, was conceptualized from a holistic health perspective. The assumption was made that humans, as open systems, continually strive toward order and self-differentiation by acquiring knowledge, structuring cognitive schemata, and choosing strategies to process environmental stimuli. Self-coherence was conceived of as a cognitive structure used during the process of perception or interaction with the environment. Should such interaction be stressful and tension creating, self-coherence would facilitate coping by bringing to the present experience self-awareness of one's responses to past experiences with the environment, and current motivations and goals, thereby reducing tension. The theoretical underpinnings of the concept are addressed including the genesis, the three conceptual domains, and the theoretical definition of self-coherence.