Recognizing Health as Interdependent: A Conceptualization of Health That Reflects Our Complex World

ABSTRACT Health in the United States has been primarily approached through an individualistic lens, often framed as an individual's private property. This perspective sees health as a self‐managed state of being, reliant on individual effort, willpower, and personal responsibility. However, such an approach misaligns with how health actually operates in people's lives. The many dynamics of a person's health, including biological systems, social relationships, systemic factors, and culture, are deeply interdependent. In this paper, we define what it means to conceptualize health as interdependent and synthesize seminal and emerging supporting empirical research. We also consider its implications for shifting dominant narratives in policy, culture, addressing inequalities, and promoting both personal and collective health.