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Terminology and the Well-being Literature
Abstract
In this commentary, we offer some remarks concerning distinctions that might be drawn between psychological well-being, emotional well-being, well-being more generally, and flourishing. We put forward a flexible map of flourishing to help understand the relative place of these and other terms, and their respective nestings. We discuss some of the challenges concerning terminology related to the use of ordinary language, as well as practices of branding ordinary language expressions that potentially threaten understanding, and we offer some suggestions as to how to navigate some of these terminological challenges in the well-being literature.
... It is true that both in much of ordinary discourse, and in much of what we have written, the words are effectively used interchangeably. We do, nevertheless, believe there are subtle nuances in the scope of these words and we have, when the context requires, tried to be more precise about how we understand these terms (Lomas and Van-derWeele, 2022;VanderWeele and Lomas, 2022). To that end, a key point of differentiation which we are increasingly emphasizing is that whereas well-being may be best considered the property of human beings (or other individual entites), flourishing is a property of human beings and the contexts in which they are situated. ...
... We have previously used as a definition of flourishing: living in "a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good" (VanderWeele, 2017). However with respect to the points above, we have subsequently proposed elsewhere VanderWeele and Lomas, 2022) that flourishing be understood as "the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good including the contexts in which that person lives", and that well-being be understood as "the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good as they pertain to that individual." This latter notion is still very broad, but concerns the individual, whereas flourishing also includes that person's context. ...
... But the definition provided above gives room for this and also acknowledges the extremely broad scope of the notion of flourishing in terms of "all aspects of a person's life," thereby also providing space for more culturally specific understandings. An alternative definition that perhaps can, by embedding some ambiguity, attain near-universal consensus and accommodate tradition-specific conceptualizations might be achieved by broadening the World Health Organization's definition of health (WHO, 1946) to include a spiritual dimension so as to read, "a state of complete physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing," which we have referred to elsewhere as the WHO þ framework VanderWeele and Lomas, 2022). We would argue that such definitions, while having ambiguity intentionally present, are sufficiently broad so as to accommodate tradition-specific or culturally-specific understandings of flourishing. ...
We discuss certain critiques of the research literature on flourishing. We fully agree with calls for greater attention to qualitative work, to cultural differences, and to questions of power and justice concerning flourishing. We argue, however, that in spite of notable differences in understandings of flourishing across cultures, there is also a great deal that is held in common, including on topics considered by some as more controversial, such as character and virtue. We also argue that while qualitative research and understanding is important, it is likewise important not to be dismissive of rigorous quantitative research even if certain groups find its results to be unappealing. We further propose that the best way to navigate diverse understandings of flourishing in pluralistic contexts is to identify those aspects of flourishing which are in fact held in common, and to promote these together, but then to acknowledge that certain understandings of flourishing will vary by culture or religious tradition, and to allow and enable each community to exposit, study, and promote flourishing, as it understands it, in critical dialogue with others.
... Flourishing is an expansive concept 1,2,5,14,15 , and the working definition underpinning the GFS has been 'the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives.' 5,16 Several aspects of this definition are important. First, flourishing is multidimensional-it concerns all aspects of a person's life. ...
... Again, there is no unique way to divide the conceptual space. Much has been written on including a spiritual dimension within the WHO definition 29 , thereby yielding, 'a state of complete physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being,' which we have referred to elsewhere as the WHO+ definition 16,17 . It is, however, more difficult to attain consensus on understandings of spiritual well-being across the world religions, and we will make some remarks on this matter later in the Article. ...
The Global Flourishing Study is a longitudinal panel study of over 200,000 participants in 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries, spanning all six populated continents, with nationally representative sampling and intended annual survey data collection for 5 years to assess numerous aspects of flourishing and its possible determinants. The study is intended to expand our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of flourishing around the world. Relations between a composite flourishing index and numerous demographic characteristics are reported. Participants were also surveyed about their childhood experiences, which were analyzed to determine their associations with subsequent adult flourishing. Analyses are presented both across and within countries, and discussion is given as to how the demographic and childhood relationships vary by country and which patterns appear to be universal versus culturally specific. Brief comment is also given on the results of a whole series of papers in the Global Flourishing Study Special Collection, employing similar analyses, but with more-specific aspects of well-being. The Global Flourishing Study expands our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of well-being and provides foundational knowledge for the promotion of societal flourishing.
... Flourishing is an expansive concept 1,2,5,14,15 , and the working definition underpinning the GFS has been 'the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives.' 5,16 Several aspects of this definition are important. First, flourishing is multidimensional-it concerns all aspects of a person's life. ...
... Again, there is no unique way to divide the conceptual space. Much has been written on including a spiritual dimension within the WHO definition 29 , thereby yielding, 'a state of complete physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being,' which we have referred to elsewhere as the WHO+ definition 16,17 . It is, however, more difficult to attain consensus on understandings of spiritual well-being across the world religions, and we will make some remarks on this matter later in the Article. ...
The Global Flourishing Study is a longitudinal panel study of over 200,000 participants in 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries, spanning all six populated continents, with nationally representative sampling, and intended annual longitudinal panel data collection for five years on numerous aspects of flourishing and its determinants. A description of the study, design, survey development, sampling procedures, and participant characteristics is provided. We report relations between a composite flourishing index and numerous demographic characteristics including age, gender, education, marital status, employment, religious affiliation and service attendance, immigration status, and race/ethnicity. We also report results of multivariate regression analyses on how flourishing is associated with numerous aspects of childhood experiences assessed retrospectively. Analyses are presented both through pooled meta-analysis, and individually by country, and discussion is given as to how the demographic and childhood relationships vary by country and which patterns appear to be universal versus culturally-specific. Brief comment is also given on the results of a whole series of papers in the Global Flourishing Study Special Collection, employing similar analyses, but with more specific aspects of well-being. The Global Flourishing Study expands our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of well-being and provides foundational knowledge for the promotion of societal flourishing.
... We will dwell on some of these key dimensions below, but we first want to define well-being in generic terms. We have elucidated this definition, and its application to the various dimensions, at length elsewhere VanderWeele & Lomas, 2023;Lomas et al., in press). As such, in this section we just offer a brief overview of our perspective without explaining or justifying it in detail, since that was the prerogative of our separate publicationsin order to provide a foundation for the following sections, which integrate the previous work of on balance and harmony with Pawelski's earlier work on sustainability (2016b) to create a novel understanding of flourishing as sustainable well-being. ...
... Thus, expanding upon our definitions of health and well-being, we define flourishing as a state of personal and systemic quality in relation to all dimensions of existence, in a way that is relatively enduring and well-supported by the various conditions of life. An alternative, more concise phrasing which captures the same idea is the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives (VanderWeele, 2017;VanderWeele and Lomas, 2023). This point is important, and worth dwelling on a little. ...
Academic interest in well-being has blossomed in recent years, to the point that numerous forms of well-being have now been proposed, covering myriad aspects of the person (e.g., mental, physical, social, spiritual) and of life more broadly (e.g., communal, economic, environmental). This proliferation of forms raises the question of how they might ideally interrelate, as well as whether there is some kind of overall well-being that draws them together. To that end, this paper argues that a zenith of ultimate or complete well-being would involve managing to sustain well-being across numerous systems (i.e., configurations of different processes and entities), such that they are in a state of balance and harmony. These systems include: (a) the various dimensions of the person (e.g., physical, mental, social, spiritual); (b) self-and-other (i.e., where both the person and those around are doing well); (c) people-and-environment (i.e., where human well-being is aligned with the well-being of nature); and (d) time (i.e., well-being obtains both in the present and into the future). We suggest that attaining all of these various forms of sustainable well-being constitutes an ideal of flourishing to which people and societies can and should aspire.
... The term is generally understood to refer to personal satisfaction and experience of happiness, including emotional, mental, and physical health (Lambert et al., 2020;Warrier et al., 2023). Whereas there is no singular or uniform definition of wellbeing is available, the literature provides an assortment of perspectives that comprise multiple facets of this construct (Marsh et al., 2020;Rohde et al., 2020;VanderWeele and Lomas, 2023). Broadly defined, wellbeing encompasses diverse dimensions including intellectual, mental, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of a person's or community's experiences (Carter and Andersen, 2023). ...
Introduction
This study investigated the challenges affecting sustainable student well-being in Qatar, with a specific emphasis on educational, societal, and cultural dimensions. Using Systems Thinking to conceptualize the interconnected nature of these challenges, the study aimed to analyze how these domains collectively impact student well-being.
Methods
Data were gathered from focus groups involving key stakeholders, including educators, parents, and policymakers. The discussions were analyzed to identify complex relationships and patterns across the educational, societal, and cultural domains.
Results
Educational challenges included systemic deficiencies, inadequate curricula, and a lack of opportunities for critical and creative thinking. Societal challenges encompassed social stereotyping, adverse social conditions, and insufficient familial support for progressive education. Cultural challenges highlighted issues related to identity, values, and the influence of a rentier mindset. The study revealed a fragmented educational system hindered by a lack of unified vision and professional development opportunities, along with societal constraints that impede intellectual growth. Additionally, concerns were raised over the erosion of cultural identity and religious values, exacerbated by Western educational norms and the dominance of English over Arabic. Rapid economic growth in Qatar has also led to increased materialism and individualism, affecting social cohesion.
Discussion
Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that integrates educational reforms, societal support, and cultural preservation. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and educators seeking to enhance sustainable student well-being and create a more holistic educational environment in Qatar.
... The GFS is based on a framework developed by VanderWeele (2017), co-PI of the GFS, who has defined flourishing as "the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives" (VanderWeele, 2017;VanderWeele & Lomas, 2023). This is differentiated from the narrower notion of wellbeing, which has the same definition except after the comma is "as they pertain to that individual." ...
The Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is a unique longitudinal panel study investigating the distribution and determinants of human flourishing across 22 diverse countries. Given such a comprehensive dataset, there are many ways of approaching, analysing, and discussing the data. The core GFS team is conducting an extensive series of studies, each focusing on a specific flourishing outcome indicator across all GFS countries. Another valuable and complementary approach is to focus on specific countries across all outcomes, which is precisely the nature of this special issue, which features separate papers for each GFS country. The papers are all led by scholars in or from the different countries, in partnership with researchers on the core GFS team. Given the unique nature of this collaborative endeavour, this introductory paper sets out the process through which this special issue came into being. Besides highlighting the value of this kind of research partnership, this paper thus also offers a foundation and guide for similar initiatives in the future.
... Intellectual wellbeing refers to an individual's ability to expand knowledge and skills while spiritual wellbeing encompasses the individual's sense of purpose and inner balance (Reif et al., 2021;VanderWeele et al., 2023). Digital wellbeing, addresses the impact of technology and digital engagement on overall well-being (Roffarello et al., 2023). ...
As members of the helping professions, educators face multifaceted challenges in their roles, necessitating a unique blend of knowledge, skills, and commitment. Despite the essential nature of their work, educators often grapple with stress and burnout, leading to a relatively short average career span. Considering the pressures faced by educators, this study explored the role of spiritual awareness, in their wellbeing, aiming to shed light on the potential benefits of heightened spiritual awareness in mitigating the emotional demands of teaching. This study used a generic qualitative research approach, which involved conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve educators. The population for the study consisted of secondary school educators in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The population selected for this study were South African citizens, qualified educators, registered at the South African Council for Educators (SACE), and who taught at public secondary schools in Johannesburg. Spiritual Awareness emerged as tool that educators can use as a prevention to burnout. This study found that there may be a heightened awareness which positively influences educators' self- efficacy and support for students. This significantly impacts their personal and professional lives by increasing a positive state of wellbeing. It is therefore recommended that educational institutions should consider integrating programs into educator training and professional development programs which emphasize the importance of spiritual awareness for educators to enhance their self-discovery, authenticity, and overall personal wellbeing. This will ultimately improve their capacity to support students and cultivate pro-social behaviour in the classroom. Educators should actively seek to cultivate their spiritual awareness. The study offers valuable insights into such cultivation of educators' spiritual awareness and its potential role in enhancing their overall wellbeing and effectiveness in the classroom.
Key words: Spiritual awareness; educator well-being; self-efficacy; stress; burnout; educator challenges
... VanderWeele and Hinton (2024) state that education for flourishing becomes a holistic and systemic approach to well-being, as an education that promotes the flourishing of individual students, as well as the flourishing of the communities and the natural environment in which students live. Thus, human flourishing stands for the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives (VanderWeele and Lomas, 2023). Therefore, what has been less thoroughly explored in the learning and flourishing equation are the environmental and relational linkages between school community actors, through which learning and flourishing opportunities flow and evolve (Taylor et al., 2022;Economist Impact, 2022;Daly et al., 2010;L� opez et al., 2018;Kallio and Halverson, 2019;Cherkowski et al., 2018;Lee and Cheung, 2017). ...
Purpose
The Catalan and Spanish context has a renowned tradition oriented towards educational innovation and transformation. However, schools are currently at a turning point, where after many changes have been brought about at a methodological, organizational and conceptual level, there has been a halt partly due to the effects of the pandemic and post-pandemic but also to other causes linked to a change in legislation and some professional exhaustion (Díaz-Gibson et al. , 2022; Martínez-Celorrio, 2016). In a post-pandemic context, school leaders are called to regenerate school communities to enhance learning for human flourishing of all community members, including students, teachers, staff members and families. The paper examines how school leaders can weave flourishing learning ecosystems for belonging, analyzing school leaders’ experience with SchoolWeavers as a tool to diagnose the health of the learning ecosystem and to weave learning and flourishing in five schools in Catalonia, Spain. The research takes place in schools where the leadership teams have been promoting student-centered instructional initiatives since 2018.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study analyzes 5 schools in Catalonia that serve students from 6 to 16 years old, located in communities with diverse governance nature – state, charter and private and zone-urban and rural and sizes. The study uses the SchoolWeavers online questionnaires targeting the whole school community, obtaining a total of 1,576 valid responses: 667 from students, 769 from families and 130 from teachers. Data describe holistic perception around the school-based ecosystem health and development, providing scores for various dimensions of the learning environment and for learning outcomes. Specifically, the paper describes Pearson correlations between the relational fabric, learning environments and sense of belonging.
Findings
Results show that strong relationships between students, teachers and families create learning ecosystems where everyone feels that they belong, fostering a supportive and flourishing environment where students experiment, teachers innovate and families engage. Thus, seeding the relational fabric of the school community fuels motivation, engagement and innovation, ultimately leading to an increased collective sense of belonging and supporting the flourishing of all students.
Originality/value
This paper sheds some light on what are the conditions that leaders need to be aware of in the design of effective school ecosystems for belonging and flourishing. School leaders play a vital role in setting the tone for this ecosystem by modeling positive relationships, collaboration and open communication across school stakeholders, but also across the community. By allocating resources to support these efforts, leaders can create a flourishing school ecosystem where everyone feels included, safe to take risks, learns from mistakes and thrives.
... First, flourishing is not just about mental thriving, but attaining wellbeing across all dimensions of existence. In that respect, VanderWeele and colleagues [8][9][10][11] identify four main dimensions, which they refer to as the "WHO + " taxonomy, drawing on the three in the WHO's definition of health-"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity" [12]and adding a spiritual dimension. As such, they define wellbeing as "a personal subjective state of quality across the physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions of existence" [8]. ...
... Social well-being is the overall quality of life within a society, encompassing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, social bonding, and a sense of community belonging (Barcaccia et al., 2013;VanderWeele and Lomas, 2023). Developed and developing economies strive to create environments that foster the well-being of their citizens. ...
Purpose
The contributions of Islam to human civilization, spanning theology, philosophy, politics, economy, sociology and science, find ample documentation in several historical records. This paper aims to critically examine the catalytic role played by Islam’s social well-being and economic justice in advancing peaceful coexistence.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploration is carried out through a systematic literature review using the PRISMA framework. The paper addresses three core thematic research questions, with the intent of offering a comprehensive contribution to both the theory and application of Islamic Studies. To acquire essential data, a qualitative research approach focused on documentation, particularly the collection of non-numerical data from secondary sources, including the Qur’an, Hadith and scholarly articles, was used.
Findings
The systematic literature review led to three notable insights. Firstly, the promotion of social well-being by Islam contributes positively to peaceful coexistence across various global regions. Secondly, Islam’s emphasis on economic justice also plays a constructive role in nurturing peaceful coexistence in diverse geographical areas. Thirdly, the alignment between Islam’s promotion of social well-being and economic justice, following the principles of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and the five international principles of peaceful coexistence, lays the groundwork for prospective theoretical inquiries.
Originality/value
This study provides a pioneering perspective by systematically integrating Islamic principles with international frameworks for peaceful coexistence through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) methodology. It offers a unique contribution by presenting how Islam’s intrinsic values of social well-being and economic justice using Maqasidul Shari’ah indicators serve as catalysts for promoting global harmony and social stability. By bridging religious tenets with universal coexistence principles, the study sets a foundational framework for interdisciplinary and policy-driven discourse on achieving sustainable peace through faith-based social and economic structures.
... Social well-being is the overall quality of life within a society, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, social bonding, and a sense of community belonging (Barcaccia et al., 2013;VanderWeele and Lomas, 2023). Developed and developing economies strive to create environments that foster the well-being of their citizens. ...
Purpose
This article explores the empirical support for the claim that Islam, described by Allah as a standard creed, is inherently compatible with inclusivity and sustainable development. Focusing on Nigeria’s multi-religious context, the research aims to assess the impact of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice on peaceful coexistence.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from 273 academics and professionals were collected and analysed using a quantitative survey research design.
Findings
The results show that the social well-being of Islam, which includes the protection of religion, life and progeny, has a significant and positive association with peaceful coexistence. Similarly, Islam’s economic justice, which includes protecting intellect/intellectual resources and wealth, also shows a substantial and positive association with peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. Aligning the principles of peaceful coexistence with Islam’s Maqasid al-Shari’ah framework (MSF) proves to be a way to strengthen the connection between social well-being and economic justice and thus improve peaceful coexistence in a multi-religious society. Control variables such as age and marital status also have positive associations with POC, while gender, education level and religion have different effects. Overall, the impact of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice, represented by the five protective principles called Maqasidul Shari’ah, has a positive association with peaceful coexistence, with the protection of progeny having the strongest influence.
Research limitations/implications
Aligning the principles of peaceful coexistence with Islam’s Maqasid al-Shari’ah framework (MSF) emerges as an avenue to strengthen the connection between social well-being and economic justice, thereby enhancing peaceful coexistence in a multi-religious society. Despite its modest scope, this study contributes valuable insights to the literature on Islam’s social well-being, economic justice and the role of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in promoting peace in diverse societies.
Originality/value
The study’s novelty lies in the empirical evidence it provides for the claim that the principles of Islam, specifically referencing the Maqasidul Shari’ah principles, are inherently compatible with inclusivity and sustainable development.
... This is different from approaches that focus on tolerating or removing the suffering. We are not seeking to present an alternative coping strategy but rather a completely different, though possibly also complementary, response to the suffering brought by terminal illness and approaching the end of life [21]. Additionally, the work of Viktor Frankl as well as Bowker's work on religious perspectives on suffering can be helpful resources for this task [60,61]. ...
Flourishing is an increasingly common construct employed in the study of human wellbeing. But its appropriateness as a framework of wellbeing at certain stages of life is contested. In this paper, we consider to what extent it is possible for someone to flourish at the end of life. People with terminal illness often experience significant and protracted pain and suffering especially when they opt for treatments that prolong life. Certain aspects of human goods, however, that are plausibly constitutive of flourishing—such as meaning and purpose, deep personal relationships, and character and virtue—can be uniquely realised when life is ending. We argue that there is a qualified sense in which one can flourish at the end of life but that one must make important modifications to the criteria implicit in conventional conceptions of flourishing. We close with a discussion of the empirical assessment of wellbeing at the end of life and explore the possibility of introducing a flourishing measure in palliative care practice.
... Aside from practical hurdles involved in the process of carrying out research on a global scale (e.g., funding to execute large-scale research, identifying and bringing together a unified team of collaborators from different countries), there are conceptual and interpretive challenges when attempting to quantitatively assess, describe, and compare the wellbeing of people living in different parts of the world. Wellbeing might be broadly understood as the relative attainment of a personal state of quality across the various dimensions of human existence (VanderWeele & Lomas 2023). Over the years, many theoretical frameworks of wellbeing have been proposed, and the conclusions that are drawn from cross-cultural research can vary based on the underlying theory guiding measurement. ...
Prior research suggests that cross-national cognitive interviewing can provide preliminarily insights into the extent to which survey items that will be employed in large-scale global research might be understood similarly or differently across countries. Against the backdrop of the recently launched Global Flourishing Study, we used multinational cognitive interview data from 116 individuals (M = 41.4 years, SD = 14.9, female = 50.9%) in 22 countries to explore similarities and differences in item difficulty and comprehension of five of the Global Flourishing Study survey items that are related to personal wellbeing. Interviewer observations indicated that most participants (≥ 90%) did not experience a lot of difficulty responding to each of the items. Focusing on a specific comprehension probe that was common across the five items (i.e., “In your own words, what is this question asking?”), we applied the constant comparative analytic method to generate an overarching theme for each item that captured the common core or essence of how participants across the countries interpreted the items. However, there was some variability—both between and within countries—in how responses to the probe in the different countries related to the overarching theme for each item. Given the richness of the Global Flourishing Study as a possible data resource, including its broad representativeness of the global population and availability as an open access dataset, these findings will be useful to researchers who are interested in using data from the Global Flourishing Study to study human wellbeing in different parts of the world.
... One might distinguish between flourishing and well-being, insofar as wellbeing concerns all aspects of a person's life being good, as they pertain to that individual, whereas flourishing pertains to all aspects of a person's life being good, including the contexts in which that person lives. 17 We are social and communal beings, and part of our own flourishing is constituted by the well-being of our communities. Flourishing thus encompasses well-being. ...
A framework is put forward for the proper scope of considerations concerning flourishing within medicine, psychiatry, clinical counselling, public health and public policy. Each of these disciplines and associated institutional practices have distinctive contributions to make in advancing flourishing within society. In each case, there are also various aspects of flourishing that extend beyond each practice’s purview; and yet to restrict attention only to health, narrowly conceived, limits what each of these practices can in fact accomplish. A clearer understanding of what aspects of flourishing do, and do not, lie within the bounds of each discipline and practice has the potential to better enable the pursuit of societal well-being.
... Therefore, a complete assessment of flourishing requires an assessment of individual experiences and group-level factors such as mutuality, belongingness, mission, justice, relational growth, effective leadership, and trust (VanderWeele, 2019). Community flourishing ''might be understood as a state in which all aspects of the community's life are good,'' including both ''objective and subjective aspects'' (VanderWeele, 2019, p. 254). 1 The importance of the individual-community connection is not always emphasized in the flourishing literature, although scholars are increasingly discussing the integral relationship between the ''contextual-social sphere'' and the ''psychological sphere'' (Delle Fave et al., 2016, p. 1;Lee & Mayor, 2023;VanderWeele & Lomas, 2023). VanderWeele's (2019) measure of Subjective Community Well-being (SCWB) represented an important step forward in integrating individual and communal flourishing. ...
An individual’s flourishing is sustained by and dependent on their community’s well-being. We provide one of the first studies of a measure of communal subjective well-being, focusing on individuals’ relationships with their community. Using two samples from the Greater Columbus, Ohio region, we provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the Subjective Community Well-being (SCWB) assessment. The five domains of the SCWB are Good Relationships (α = .92), Proficient Leadership (α = .93), Healthy Practices (α = .92), Satisfying Community (α = .88), and Strong Mission (α = .81). A community-based sample (N = 1,435) and an online sample of Columbus residents (N = 692) were scored on the SCWB and compared across domains. We found evidence that the SCWB scores differentiate between active and less active community members. We discuss the appropriate uses of the SCWB as a measure of well-being and provide recommendations for research that could profitably utilize the SCWB measure to examine community well-being.
... Especially noteworthy is the Future Directions section of the paper that lays out the vigorous discussion in the field over the various aspects of emotional well-being, and what should or should not be included in the conceptual definition. Eight commentaries provide further nuanced discussion including whether a new term is needed and, if so, whether "emotional well-being" is the appropriate one to use; arguments for broadening the concept to include more social and cognitive aspects of wellbeing; and calls for more nuance within, and on the boundaries of, the concept (Campos & Sanchez Hernandez, 2023;Lucas & Oishi, 2023;Necka et al., 2023;Ryff, 2023;Shiota, 2023;Sin & Ong, 2023;VanderWeele & Lomas, 2023;Willroth, 2023). Taken together, the target article, commentaries, and response to the commentaries provide fertile ground for further discussion, debate, and growth in the field (Park et al., 2023). ...
Psychological ill-being is on the rise, with 1 in 5 Americans suffering from a mental disorder in any given year. Additional evidence demonstrates that psychological well-being has also decreased over time. These trends are particularly worrisome given the substantial and growing body of evidence demonstrating that psychological ill-being (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger) is associated with an elevated risk of developing chronic diseases and premature mortality, while aspects of psychological well-being (e.g., positive affect, sense of purpose and meaning, life satisfaction) are independently associated with improved physical health outcomes. An underexplored but promising approach to enhancing both psychological and physical health is through developing a set of tools that specifically target psychological well-being (often referred to as positive psychological interventions (PPIs) although many interventions developed outside the field of positive psychology also achieve these goals). Such interventions hold promise as a strategy for improving population health. However, critical knowledge gaps hold us back, and we have not yet developed a robust set of intervention strategies that can improve psychological well-being in meaningful, durable, and scalable ways that would also have downstream effects on physical health. The goal of this special issue is to help address these knowledge gaps by bringing together current conceptual frameworks, critical examination of key constructs, and novel empirical evidence needed to identify and examine interventions that can modify psychological well-being, particularly those that have the potential to be scaled at the population level and with durable effects.
... In addition, some scholars suggest that we ought to recognize spiritual well-being [30,31]. Together, we refer to these four dimensions as the "WHO+" ontological framework [32]. We can, therefore, adapt the generic definitions of health and well-being to apply to these dimensions specifically. ...
Our understanding of well-being, and related concepts such as health and flourishing, is shaped by the metaphors through which we think about such ideas. Current dominant metaphors—including a pyramid, ladder, and continuum—all have various issues. As such, this paper offers two other metaphors which can better do justice to the nuanced complexities of these notions, namely, a garden and an orchestra. Through these metaphors, this paper articulates a comprehensive framework for conceptualizing and appreciating the nature of well-being (and associated concepts), which it is hoped will generate further insights and research into these valued and sought-after phenomena.
Individual-based relative deprivation—feeling unfairly economically disadvantaged compared to others—fosters psychological ill-being and poorer physical health. However, research has overlooked the possibility that relative deprivation also undermines emotional well-being , which is distinct from ill-being and uniquely contributes to physical health. Using nine annual waves of a nationwide longitudinal panel sample of adults ( N = 58,741–66,221), the current research utilized random intercept cross-lagged panel models to assess the between- and within-person longitudinal associations between individual-based relative deprivation and three key indicators of emotional well-being: gratitude, meaning in life, and belonging. Results indicated that individual-based relative deprivation longitudinally predicted lower gratitude, meaning in life, and belonging. Moreover, lower belonging (but not gratitude or meaning in life) mediated the longitudinal associations between greater individual-based relative deprivation and poorer physical health. These results suggest that individual-based relative deprivation undermines emotional well-being, which partially explains why relative deprivation correlates with poorer physical health.
Although surgeons have a high sense of professional fulfillment, burnout and emotional exhaustion manifest early in surgical training and often persist. In surgical training, the hours are long, the amount of clinical knowledge to master is extensive, and a mistake can result in patient morbidity or mortality. While these challenges inherent in surgical training make it an opportune time to promote positive character formation, instead, little to no intentional time is devoted to it, and aspects of character degrade throughout training along with well-being. Good character is essential to providing excellent patient care. And yet, one does not have the character traits of a good surgeon just because one needs them or has completed residency or even because one has them to some innate degree before entering medical school. One has the character traits of a good surgeon because they have been modeled, cultivated, and refined over time.
This chapter describes the role of good character in facilitating good surgical practice and promoting surgeon flourishing. We outline an Aristotelian model of virtue; highlight the importance of several virtues for medical practice—including courage, compassion, trustworthiness, wisdom, and humility; and suggest how character education can be integrated into residency training.
Given the well-founded critiques of academia as Western-centric, there are increasing efforts to conduct research that is more cross-cultural and global. These dynamics apply to all aspects of life, including human flourishing, as exemplified by the new Global Flourishing Study (GFS), a longitudinal panel study investigating the predictors and components of flourishing across over 200,000 participants from 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong [S.A.R of China, with mainland China also included from 2024 onwards], Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, UK, and US). The research is not only comprehensive in its global reach but also its conceptual coverage of flourishing, involving 109 distinct questions (comprising a one-off intake survey of 43 items and an annual survey of 71 items, with five items shared by both). This paper elucidates the questionnaire development process, giving a transparent and open accounting of its multi-phase construction. By describing this process in detail, this article not only elucidates the nature of the GFS but also serves as a useful resource in the survey development literature more broadly (e.g., for scholars undertaking similar endeavours).
Objective: To examine whether a 6-week at-home exercise intervention, delivered via mobile applications (apps), improves psychological and physical well-being and alleviates ill-being symptoms in adults during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Low active Canadian adults (n = 334) were recruited and randomized to one of three app conditions [Yoga, n = 86; high-intensity interval training (HIIT), n = 82, HIIT + Yoga, n = 83] or a waitlist control condition (n = 83). Those in the exercise conditions (HIIT, Yoga, HIIT + Yoga) were asked to use their respective modules in the apps to complete four 20-min sessions per week for six weeks. Indicators of well-being (flourishing, general mental health, life satisfaction, positive affect, resilience, and perceived physical health) and ill-being (burden of psychosocial problems, negative affect, psychological distress, psychological stress, and physical symptoms) were measured every week over the intervention.
Results: After six weeks, compared to the waitlist control condition, those in the HIIT + Yoga condition improved in all well-being outcomes, those in the Yoga condition showed improvements in flourishing, positive affect, and perceived physical health, and those in the HIIT condition showed no improvements in well-being indicators. None of the three exercise conditions demonstrated any improvement in ill-being indicators compared to the waitlist control condition.
Conclusion: Engagement with at-home exercise apps over 6 weeks can improve multiple facets of well-being (e.g., flourishing, positive affect), especially when a variety of modalities of exercise are presented.
Research on the construct of flourishing spans many fields of study. This study extends previous work by VanderWeele by investigating the measurement of flourishing, focusing on the structure and convergent validity of the Flourish Index (FI) and the Secure Flourish Index (SFI) within a national, multi-site sample of resident physicians. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFAs and CFAs), we assessed whether the FI and the SFI aligned with the theoretical flourishing models that VanderWeele suggested. We examined the convergent validity of both indices by testing whether they exhibited expected correlations with six different scales. The results of factor analyses and scale validation showed that data collected by the FI and the SFI fit the structural model of flourishing proposed by VanderWeele. Although prior studies reliably indicate that CFA results align with VanderWeele’s model, this is a rare study where the EFA results also demonstrated a structure that aligns with his framework. Both scales exhibited strong convergent validity, producing data correlated with all six measures in the predicted directions. Although convergent validity has been previously shown, this study replicated and expanded evidence of the construct validity of data provided by the FI and the SFI.
Flourishing‐for‐all as emerged as a concept to respond to the apparent lack of capacity to translate the sustainability discourse into actual practices conducive to more sustainable societies. In this special issue, we assert that flourishing‐for‐all addresses the gap identified in the sustainability discourse that still needs conversion into practice, and that processes for catalyzing this necessary transformation need to be identified and implemented. The eight papers in this special issue address flourishing‐for‐all from different ontological, epistemological, and methodological perspectives, demonstrating a wide interest in the topic, and the shared belief that both academia and practice must go beyond sustainability to embrace flourishing‐for‐all. They bring to the fore three important features of a flourishing‐for‐all approach: First, it allows for a more profound analysis of systemic sustainability‐related problems; secondly, it highlights new relationships among the problem‐related variables; thirdly, it extends the repertory and reach of possible solutions.
The concept of flourishing has garnered interdisciplinary attention, particularly within the realm of workplace research, given its relevance to individuals' daily lives. However, despite its growing importance, defining and measuring workplace flourishing remains challenging, often due to the adoption of generic life‐domain perspectives. This review addresses these challenges by synthesizing literature from work and life domains. We meticulously analyze 118 pertinent articles through an integrative review methodology, uncovering gaps in conceptualization, measurement, determinants, and outcomes of workplace flourishing. Our review introduces a new conceptual lens, focusing on the role of personal project pursuits in shaping flourishing. We also clarify the distinction between flourishing and thriving, providing much‐needed conceptual clarity. Additionally, the review presents an integrative framework that synthesizes determinants and outcomes of flourishing, offering a multitude of avenues for future exploration.
The Global Flourishing Study is a longitudinal panel study of over 200,000 participants in 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries, spanning all six populated continents, with nationally representative sampling, and intended annual longitudinal panel data collection for five years on numerous aspects of flourishing and its determinants. A description of the study, design, survey development, sampling procedures, and participant characteristics is provided. We report relations between a composite flourishing index and numerous demographic characteristics including age, gender, education, marital status, employment, religious affiliation and service attendance, immigration status, and race/ethnicity. We also report results of multivariate regression analyses on how flourishing is associated with numerous aspects of childhood experiences assessed retrospectively. Analyses are presented both through pooled meta-analysis, and individually by country, and discussion is given as to how the demographic and childhood relationships vary by country and which patterns appear to be universal versus culturally-specific. Brief comment is also given on the results of a whole series of papers in the Global Flourishing Study Special Collection, employing similar analyses, but with more specific aspects of well-being. The Global Flourishing Study expands our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of well-being and provides foundational knowledge for the promotion of societal flourishing.
Previous research shows depression and anxiety are negatively correlated with subjective well-being. Additionally, there is evidence psychological resilience positively influences well-being. The present study explored whether the relationship between depression/anxiety and subjective well-being might also be moderated by aspects of psychological resilience – such that depression and anxiety do not reduce well-being to the same extent in individuals high in psychological resilience traits. Participants from an exploratory sample (N = 236, Mage = 23.49) and confirmatory sample (N = 196, Mage = 24.99) completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, well-being, resilience, and hardiness (i.e., CDRISC and DRS-15). As expected, results showed strong negative correlations between anxiety/depression and both well-being and resilience/hardiness, as well as positive correlations between well-being and resilience/hardiness. A significant interaction was also present between both resilience/hardiness and depression/anxiety in predicting well being in the first sample. Results partially replicated in the confirmatory sample (i.e., for hardiness but not resilience). These findings add to prior work by highlighting hardiness (as measured by the DRS-15), one aspect of psychological resilience, as an important protective factor in mental health. Namely, results suggest individuals with symptoms of affective disorders may remain capable of living subjectively fulfilling lives if they possess traits of psychological resilience such as hardiness.
Concepts like flourishing, well-being, health, and happiness are of increasing interest across many fields, from psychology and medicine to politics and economics. However, these terms are used in diverse and contested ways, which makes it hard to find common ground and understanding. To attempt to help remedy the confusion, this paper offers an overarching conceptual "map" within which these concepts can be situated, thereby providing a common language and framework for their consideration. Moreover, while the overall configuration of this map is conceptually and logically stable, its specific elements are more flexible, particularly in terms of scalable granularity (allowing fine-grained differentiation of internal regions) and epistemological openness (allowing revisions in light of gains in knowledge). As such, the map can be adapted to suit different fields, and updated to accommodate advances in understanding. To that end, we clarify topics of investigation that are still in need of development, providing a roadmap for future research.
Antecedentes
: el presente artículo teórico repasa empírica y detenidamente los conceptos de bienestar, salud mental óptima/ positiva, tipos de bienestar y florecimiento, en miras del esclarecimiento y diferenciación con base en lo que ofrece la literatura científica actual, y dado que suelen ser utilizados como sinónimos, o bien como términos intercambiables.
Estado del arte
: se explican y proponen diversos criterios de inclusión y referencia de lo que solemos considerar «positivo» y «negativo» en los estudios científicos del bienestar y el malestar (enfermedad, patogénico, decaimiento), como un marco y guía confiable de futuras investigaciones y metodologías de trabajo relacionadas con los constructos aquí estudiados, así como un medio de apoyo en la elaboración y enriquecimiento de las mismas definiciones. Aunado a ello, se proponen y articulan conceptos específicos y diferenciados del bienestar, la salud mental óptima y el florecimiento; que se reconocen como independientes, pero interrelacionados.
Conclusiones
: la revisión de la literatura y análisis de la información da paso a la aparición de un nuevo concepto denominado «bienestar integrativo», que busca compilar los tipos de bienestar existentes y la salud mental que en conjunto resultan conducentes del florecimiento individual y social. Así, se buscó impactar en la utilización de terminologías adecuadas, vigentes y funcionales, en razón de la complejidad y dinamismos que ofrecen los términos; confiando, además, en que permitirá a investigadores y profesionales diversos, la conformación y desarrollo de instrumentos de evaluación, así como posibles aplicaciones prácticas en los ámbitos clínicos, educativos, sociales, políticos, laborales o de otros tipos.
This paper presents cross-cultural comparisons of well-being among factory work- ers, as measured by the six well-being domains of happiness and life satisfaction, physical and mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close social relationships, and financial and material stability. Relative ranks of well-being do- mains across examined groups of workers are also compared. Results are based on survey data from factory workers in Cambodia, China, Mexico, Poland, Sri Lanka, and the United States. Average well-being scores are higher among factory workers in Mexico, China, and Cambodia than in the U.S., Poland, and Sri Lanka across all domains except financial and material stability. Close social relationships were the highest ranked domain in Cambodia and China but ranked much lower (5th) in the U.S. Meaning and purpose, as well as character and virtue were highly ranked across the board. Strong social relationships seem to thrive in contexts where fi- nancial insecurity is high.
Recent decades have seen a surge of scientific interest in happiness. However, its theoretical conceptualization is a work in progress. Much of the literature focuses on two main forms: hedonic (encompassing life satisfaction and positive affect) and eudaimonic (encompassing phenomena such as character development and meaning in life). However, this binary has been critiqued as being incomplete, in part because it reflects a Western-centric perspective that overlooks forms emphasized in non-Western cultures. As a result, scholars have begun to highlight other forms besides hedonia and eudaimonia. This article surveys the literature to identify 16 potential forms in total, classified according to whether they primarily pertain to feelings (hedonic, contented, mature, chaironic, and vital), thought (evaluative, meaningful, intellective, aesthetic, and absorbed) or action (eudaimonic, masterful, accomplished, harmonic, nirvanic, and relational). This article thus offers a more expansive, albeit still just provisional, taxonomy of this vital and still-evolving topic.
Concepts like flourishing, well-being, health, and happiness are of increasing interest across many fields, from psychology and medicine to politics and economics. However, these terms are used in diverse and contested ways, which makes it hard to find common ground and understanding. To attempt to help remedy the confusion, this paper offers an overarching conceptual "map" within which these concepts can be situated, thereby providing a common language and framework for their consideration. Moreover, while the overall configuration of this map is conceptually and logically stable, its specific elements are more flexible, particularly in terms of scalable granularity (allowing fine-grained differentiation of internal regions) and epistemological openness (allowing revisions in light of gains in knowledge). As such, the map can be adapted to suit different fields, and updated to accommodate advances in understanding. To that end, we clarify topics of investigation that are still in need of development, providing a roadmap for future research.
Spiritual well-being (SWB) is an often-overlooked aspect of a person’s overall well-being. Existing generic measures of SWB are not sufficiently specific to capture the principal ends and concerns of most particular religious communities; tradition-specific measures are needed. To that end, the authors provide conceptual background and develop a set of items for a measure of Christian SWB. Within the Christian religion, the measure is intended to be ecumenical in being broadly applicable across Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions. The chapter discusses ways in which such a measure might be of use both for research purposes and for religious communities themselves to advance their own ends. The authors discuss the possible development of other tradition-specific measures of SWB in the context of a pluralistic society. These measures may be of use in ensuring that research on religion and well-being is not only of academic interest, but also serves the ends of religious communities themselves.
Psychological researchers have advanced several instruments to measure meaning. Philosophers have debated the objective versus subjective status of meaning in life and on the global versus individual or personal aspects of meaning. In this chapter, the authors make use of an emerging consensus in the psychology literature concerning a tripartite structure of meaning as cognitive coherence , affective significance , and motivational direction . They enrich this understanding with important philosophical distinctions to distinguish subdomains within this tripartite understanding. The authors use relevant philosophical distinctions to classify existing measurement items into a seven-fold structure intended to more comprehensively assess an individual’s sense of meaning. The proposed measure, with three items in each subdomain drawn from previous scales, constitutes what is put forward as the Comprehensive Measure of Meaning to hopefully enrich the empirical research on the assessment of, and on the causes and effects of, having a sense of meaning.
There is growing interest in and renewed support for prioritizing social factors in public health both in the USA and globally. While there are multiple widely recognized social determinants of health, indicators of social connectedness (e.g., social capital, social support, social isolation, loneliness) are often noticeably absent from the discourse. This article provides an organizing framework for conceptualizing social connection and summarizes the cumulative evidence supporting its relevance for health, including epidemiological associations, pathways, and biological mechanisms. This evidence points to several implications for prioritizing social connection within solutions across sectors, where public health work, initiatives, and research play a key role in addressing gaps. Therefore, this review proposes a systemic framework for cross-sector action to identify missed opportunities and guide future investigation, intervention, practice, and policy on promoting social connection and health for all.
Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Background:
Increasing evidence suggests that psychological well-being (PWB) is associated with lower disease and mortality risk, and may be enhanced with relatively low-cost interventions. Yet, dissemination of these interventions remains limited, in part because insufficient attention has been paid to distinct PWB dimensions, which may impact physical health outcomes differently.
Methods:
This essay first reviews the empirical evidence regarding differential relationships between all-cause mortality and multiple dimensions of PWB (e.g., life purpose, mastery, positive affect, life satisfaction, optimism). Then, individual-level positive psychology interventions aimed at increasing PWB and tested in randomized-controlled trials are reviewed as these allow for easy implementation and potentially broad outreach to improve population well-being, in concert with efforts targeting other established social determinants of health.
Results:
Several PWB dimensions relate to mortality, with varying strength of evidence. Many of positive psychology trials indicate small-to-moderate improvements in PWB; rigorous institution-level interventions are comparatively few, but preliminary results suggest benefits as well. Examples of existing health policies geared towards the improvement of population well-being are also presented. Future avenues of well-being epidemiological and intervention research, as well as policy implications, are discussed.
Conclusions:
Although research in the fields of behavioral and psychosomatic medicine, as well as health psychology have substantially contributed to the science of PWB, this body of work has been somewhat overlooked by the public health community. Yet, the growing interest in documenting well-being, in addition to examining its determinants and consequences at a population level may provoke a shift in perspective. To cultivate optimal well-being-mental, physical, social, and spiritual-consideration of a broader set of well-being measures, rigorous studies, and interventions that can be disseminated is critically needed.
To advance meaning in life (MIL) research, it is crucial to integrate it with the broader meaning literature, which includes important additional concepts (e.g., meaning frameworks) and principles (e.g., terror management). A tripartite view, which conceptualizes MIL as consisting of 3 subconstructs—comprehension, purpose, and mattering—may facilitate such integration. Here, we outline how a tripartite view may relate to key concepts from within MIL research (e.g., MIL judgments and feelings) and within the broader meaning research (e.g., meaning frameworks, meaning making). On the basis of this framework, we review the broader meaning literature to derive a theoretical context within which to understand and conduct further research on comprehension, purpose, and mattering. We highlight how future research may examine the interrelationships among the 3 MIL subconstructs, MIL judgments and feelings, and meaning frameworks.
Despite growing interest in meaning in life, many have voiced their concern over the conceptual refinement of the construct itself. Researchers seem to have two main ways to understand what meaning in life means: coherence and purpose, with a third way, significance, gaining increasing attention. Coherence means a sense of comprehensibility and one’s life making sense. Purpose means a sense of core goals, aims, and direction in life. Significance is about a sense of life’s inherent value and having a life worth living. Although some researchers have already noted this trichotomy, the present article provides the first comprehensible theoretical overview that aims to define and pinpoint the differences and connections between these three facets of meaning. By arguing that the time is ripe to move from indiscriminate understanding of meaning into looking at these three facets separately, the article points toward a new future for research on meaning in life.
An understanding of the mechanisms of personality development provides a systematic way to promote health as an integrated state of physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. Individual differences in personality are causal antecedents of the full range of psychopathology. The maturation with integration of personality appears to be an important mechanism by which diverse modalities of treatment promote wellness and reduce illness. First, the authors review the relationship between personality and a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Second, the authors evaluate the impact of character structure on a wide range of measures of well-being, including positive emotions, negative emotions, life satisfaction, perceived social support, and perceived health. Third, the authors describe a practical and inexpensive clinical method for facilitating the maturation and integration of personality based on an understanding of the processes of human thought, which underlie changes in personality and well-being.
Reigning measures of psychological well-being have little theoretical grounding, despite an extensive literature on the contours of positive functioning. Aspects of well-being derived from this literature (i.e., self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth) were operationalized. Three hundred and twenty-one men and women, divided among young, middle-aged, and older adults, rated themselves on these measures along with six instruments prominent in earlier studies (i.e., affect balance, life satisfaction, self-esteem, morale, locus of control, depression). Results revealed that positive relations with others, autonomy, purpose in life, and personal growth were not strongly tied to prior assessment indexes, thereby supporting the claim that key aspects of positive functioning have not been represented in the empirical arena. Furthermore, age profiles revealed a more differentiated pattern of well-being than is evident in prior research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Presents test–retest and internal consistency reliability coefficients and descriptive data for several religious, student, and client groups who were administered the Spiritual Well-Being Scale developed by R. F. Paloutzian and C. W. Ellison (1982). Because of ceiling effects, in evangelical samples, the typical respondent received the maximum score; thus, the scale was not useful in distinguishing among individuals for purposes such as selection of spiritual leaders. The scale is useful for research and as a global index of lack of well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Izard (2010) did not seek a descriptive definition of emotion—one that describes the concept as it is used by ordinary folk. Instead, he surveyed scientists’ prescriptive definitions—ones that prescribe how the concept should be used in theories of emotion. That survey showed a lack of agreement today and thus raised doubts about emotion as a useful scientific concept.
As we estimate here, 68% of human beings--4.6 billion people--would say that religion is important in their daily lives. Past studies have found that the religious, on average, have higher subjective well-being (SWB). Yet, people are rapidly leaving organized religion in economically developed nations where religious freedom is high. Why would people leave religion if it enhances their happiness? After controlling for circumstances in both the United States and world samples, we found that religiosity is associated with slightly higher SWB, and similarly so across four major world religions. The associations of religiosity and SWB were mediated by social support, feeling respected, and purpose or meaning in life. However, there was an interaction underlying the general trend such that the association of religion and well-being is conditional on societal circumstances. Nations and states with more difficult life conditions (e.g., widespread hunger and low life expectancy) were much more likely to be highly religious. In these nations, religiosity was associated with greater social support, respect, purpose or meaning, and all three types of SWB. In societies with more favorable circumstances, religiosity is less prevalent and religious and nonreligious individuals experience similar levels of SWB. There was also a person-culture fit effect such that religious people had higher SWB in religious nations but not in nonreligious nations. Thus, it appears that the benefits of religion for social relationships and SWB depend on the characteristics of the society.
The Four Domains Model of Spiritual Health and Well-Being was used as the theoretical base for the development of several spiritual well-being questionnaires, with progressive fine-tuning leading to the Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM). SHALOM comprises 20 items with five items reflecting the quality of relationships of each person with themselves, other people, the environment and/or God, in the Personal, Communal, Environmental and Transcendental domains of spiritual well-being. SHALOM has undergone rigorous statistical testing in several languages. SHALOM has been used with school and university students, teachers, nurses, medical doctors, church-attenders, in industry and business settings, with abused women, troubled youth and alcoholics. SHALOM provides a unique way of assessing spiritual well-being as it compares each person’s ideals with their lived experiences, providing a measure of spiritual harmony or dissonance in each of the four domains.
Within the discipline of psychology, the conventional history outlines the development of two fundamental approaches to the scientific study of emotion-"basic emotion" and "appraisal" traditions. In this article, we outline the development of a third approach to emotion that exists in the psychological literature-the "psychological constructionist" tradition. In the process, we discuss a number of works that have virtually disappeared from the citation trail in psychological discussions of emotion. We also correct some misconceptions about early sources, such as work by Darwin and James. Taken together, these three contributions make for a fuller and more accurate account of ideas about emotion during the century stretching from 1855 to just before 1960.
A theoretical model of psychological well-being that encompasses 6 distinct dimensions of wellness (Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Positive Relations with Others, Purpose in Life, Self-Acceptance) was tested with data from a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 1,108), aged 25 and older, who participated in telephone interviews. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the proposed 6-factor model, with a single second-order super factor. The model was superior in fit over single-factor and other artifactual models. Age and sex differences on the various well-being dimensions replicated prior findings. Comparisons with other frequently used indicators (positive and negative affect, life satisfaction) demonstrated that the latter neglect key aspects of positive functioning emphasized in theories of health and well-being.
This article reports the development and validation of a scale to measure global life satisfaction, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Among the various components of subjective well-being, the SWLS is narrowly focused to assess global life satisfaction and does not tap related constructs such as positive affect or loneliness. The SWLS is shown to have favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and high temporal reliability. Scores on the SWLS correlate moderately to highly with other measures of subjective well-being, and correlate predictably with specific personality characteristics. It is noted that the SWLS is Suited for use with different age groups, and other potential uses of the scale are discussed.
Unlabelled:
Psychological aspects of well-being are increasingly recognized and studied as fundamental components of healthy human functioning. However, this body of work is fragmented, with many different conceptualizations and terms being used (e.g., subjective well-being, psychological well-being). We describe the development of a provisional conceptualization of this form of well-being, here termed emotional well-being (EWB), leveraging prior conceptual and theoretical approaches. Our developmental process included review of related concepts and definitions from multiple disciplines, engagement with subject matter experts, consideration of essential properties across definitions, and concept mapping. Our conceptualization provides insight into key strengths and gaps in existing perspectives on this form of well-being, setting a foundation for evaluating assessment approaches, enhancing our understanding of the causes and consequences of EWB, and, ultimately, developing effective intervention strategies that promote EWB. We argue that this foundation is essential for developing a more cohesive and informative body of work on EWB.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-022-00163-0.
A survey of astonishing breadth and penetration. No cognitive neuroscientist should ever conduct an experiment in the domain of the emotions without reading this book, twice. Parashkev Nachev, Institute of Neurology, UCL. There is not a slack moment in the whole of this impressive work. With his remarkable facility for making fine distinctions, and his commitment to lucidity, Peter Hacker has subtly characterized those emotions such as pride, shame, envy, jealousy, love or sympathy which make up our all too human nature. This is an important book for philosophers but since most of its illustrative material comes from an astonishing range of British and European literature, it is required reading also for literary scholars, or indeed for anyone with an interest in understanding who and what we are. David Ellis, University of Kent. Human beings are all subject to boundless flights of joy and delight, to flashes of anger and fear, to pangs of sadness and grief. We express our emotions in what we do, how we act, and what we say, and we can share our emotions with others and respond sympathetically to their feelings. Emotions are an intrinsic part of the human condition, and any study of human nature must investigate them. In this third volume of a major study in philosophical anthropology which has spanned nearly a decade, one of the most preeminent living philosophers examines and reflects upon the nature of the emotions, advancing the view that novelists, playwrights, and poets - rather than psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists - elaborate the most refined descriptions of their role in human life. In the book's early chapters, the author analyses the emotions by situating them in relation to other human passions such as affections, appetites, attitudes, and agitations. While presenting a detailed connective analysis of the emotions, Hacker challenges traditional ideas about them and criticizes misconceptions held by philosophers, psychologists, and cognitive neuroscientists. With the help of abundant examples and illustrative quotations from the Western literary canon, later sections investigate, describe, and disentangle the individual emotions - pride, arrogance, and humility; shame, embarrassment, and guilt; envy and jealousy; and anger. The book concludes with an analysis of love, sympathy, and empathy as sources of absolute value and the roots of morality. A masterful contribution, this study of the passions is essential reading for philosophers of mind, psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, students of Western literature, and general readers interested in understanding the nature of the emotions and their place in our lives.
Many empirical studies throughout the social and biomedical sciences focus only on very narrow outcomes such as income, or a single specific disease state, or a measure of positive affect. Human well-being or flourishing, however, consists in a much broader range of states and outcomes, certainly including mental and physical health, but also encompassing happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. The empirical literature from longitudinal, experimental, and quasiexperimental studies is reviewed in attempt to identify major determinants of human flourishing, broadly conceived. Measures of human flourishing are proposed. Discussion is given to the implications of a broader conception of human flourishing, and of the research reviewed, for policy, and for future research in the biomedical and social sciences.
One of the fastest growing areas within psychology is the field of emotion regulation. However, enthusiasm for this topic continues to outstrip conceptual clarity, and there remains considerable uncertainty as to what is even meant by “emotion regulation.” The goal of this review is to examine the current status and future prospects of this rapidly growing field. In the first section, I define emotion and emotion regulation and distinguish both from related constructs. In the second section, I use the process model of emotion regulation to selectively review evidence that different regulation strategies have different consequences. In the third section, I introduce the extended process model of emotion regulation; this model considers emotion regulation to be one type of valuation, and distinguishes three emotion regulation stages (identification, selection, implementation). In the final section, I consider five key growth points for the field of emotion regulation.
A definition of emotion common to the affective sciences is an urgent desideratum. Lack of such a definition is a constant source of numerous misunderstandings and a series of mostly fruitless debates. There is little hope that there ever will be agreement on a common definition of emotion, given the sacred traditions of the disciplines involved and the egos of the scholars working in these disciplines. Our aim here is more modest. We propose a list of elements for a working definition of emotion and discuss the justification for the inclusion of elements from our respective perspectives (philosophy and psychology). This working partial definition may at least serve as a litmus test to examine theories of emotion, old and new, across disciplinary boundaries.
Many psychological scientists and behavioral neuroscientists affirm that “emotion” influences thinking, decision-making, actions, social relationships, well-being, and physical and mental health. Yet there is no consensus on a definition of the word “emotion,” and the present data suggest that it cannot be defined as a unitary concept. Theorists and researchers attribute quite different yet heuristic meanings to “emotion.” They show considerable agreement about emotion activation, functions, and regulation. The central goal of this article is to alert researchers, students, and other consumers of “emotion” research to the multiple meanings or aspects that distinguished scientists attribute to ”emotion,” increase appreciation of its interesting and challenging complexity, and sharpen perspectives on “emotion” and the associated body of literature that is of critical significance to science and society.
The World Health Organization formulated its definition of health following World War II, during a period when the social health of societies was in question. Since that definition in 1946, social scientists have dutifully followed its precepts and attempted to operationalize its concepts, including social well-being. But, American social scientists have found that psychosocial well-being may be a more accurate formulation of mental and social well-being, and they have questioned the reasonableness of a definition that requires complete health. It is proposed that scholars refine the WHO definition over the next several years, while at the same time creating bridges between a new conceptual definition and more detailed operational definitions. An expansion of the WHO definition may be necessary to include a spiritual dimension of health if social scientists can agree that spirituality is part of health and not merely an influence.
Spiritual well-being scale
- R F Paloutzian
- C Ellison
- RF Paloutzian
Emotion in man and animal: Its nature and relation to attitude and motive
- P T Young
- PT Young
Emotional well-being: What it is and why it matters
- C L Park
- L Kubzansky
- S Chafouleas
- R Davidson
- D Keltner
- P Parsafar
- Y Conwell
- M Martin
- J Hamner
- H W Wang
Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being
- M E P Seligman