ABSTRACT. This talk explores the emergence of authentic self-expression and self-actualization as key principles for understanding optimal human functioning and well-being in modern times. It discusses how modern formulations of well-being (prioritizing autonomy, self-discovery, and personal growth) have adopted authenticity as a guiding paradigm in scientific and public discourse. While acknowledging the widespread adoption of these authenticity-based models, the talk highlights their Western cultural roots and challenges assumptions of universality. It cautions against imposing individualistic ideals as a one-size-fits-all solution, particularly in contexts where collectivist and traditional notions of personhood and well-being are prevalent. The presentation advocates for a more inclusive approach to understanding and promoting well-being worldwide.

ABSTRACT. In 2013 the OECD published the Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Wellbeing. It is now reviewing the Guidelines with a view to publishing an updated set that address issues that have become more prominent in the decade since the original Guidelines were published. A working paper was published by the OECD in September 2023 setting out the topics to be addressed in the review. One key topic is to explore what is known about globally inclusive measures of subjective wellbeing (i.e. subjective wellbeing measures that are not limited to western European/north American value systems). This area of work is relatively under-developed although there have been some important papers published (e.g. https://internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/1037/877) and some official statistical offices have explored this area (e.g. https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/te-kupenga-2018-final-english). The aim of the workshop would be to bring together interested/knowledgeable ISQOLS members/conference attendees to identify existing work exploring globally inclusive measures of subjective wellbeing and to discuss the principles under which such a work programme might proceed. The workshop would be linked to the OECD work programme and the author of the OECD review would attend.

ABSTRACT. Patients with epilepsy (PWE) often experience poor heath-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to comorbidities, treatment side-effects, seizure severity and cognitive impairments. Hence, this cross-sectional study attempts to explore the HRQoL profiles and its associations with self-perceived cognitive impairment among PWE in selected hospitals in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang, Malaysia. Participants completed the sociodemographic and five-dimension European Quality of Life (EQ-5D) scale (higher scores indicating better QoL). The cognitive impairments were assessed using A-B neuropsychological assessment schedule (ABNAS) that consists of six domains - Fatigue, Slowing, Memory, Concentration, Motor Coordination and Language. Data was analysed using SPSS 25.0, employing descriptive, simple and multiple linear regression tests. A total of 86 PWE enrolled via convenience sampling (mean age = 33.9 ± 11.3; female = 59.3%; unmarried = 51.2%; Malay = 94.2%; secondary school = 50.0%; income RM1,000 – RM2,999 = 40.7%). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) score was 74.2 ± 24.2 (minimum score = 20, maximum score = 100), indicating moderately-high HRQoL profiles among participants. The multivariate analysis showed that motor coordination was negatively associated with VAS score (β = -4.3, p = 0.009). The outcomes suggest a potentially greater risk of poor HRQoL among PWE if left untreated. Further research is needed to clarify the associations and to improve health status among PWE.

ABSTRACT. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) represents a significant public health challenge worldwide, with substantial social, economic, and health-related consequences. Traditional treatment approaches for AUD have focused on pharmacotherapy, counseling, and support groups. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a cognitive-behavioral treatment originally developed for borderline personality disorder, has shown promise in treating a variety of mental health issues, including substance use disorders. However, the application and efficacy of DBT in treating AUD specifically have not been extensively studied, particularly within diverse cultural and regional contexts. This concept paper proposes a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of DBT skills training for AUD patients in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, a setting that presents unique cultural and socioeconomic characteristics which may impact treatment outcomes. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of DBT skills training for AUD, focusing on measures of alcohol consumption, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and overall quality of life. Through a randomized controlled trial design, this research seeks to provide empirical evidence on the utility of DBT in reducing alcohol dependency and improving emotional coping mechanisms among AUD patients in Kota Kinabalu. The outcomes of this trial could offer valuable insights into culturally sensitive treatment modalities and contribute to the global body of knowledge on AUD treatment strategies, potentially informing policy and clinical practice in Malaysia and similar contexts worldwide.

ABSTRACT. Healthy city is a city that is continually creating and improving physical and social environments and expanding community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all functions of life and in developing to maximum potentials (Hancock & Duhl, 1988). Healthy city is defined a city that is striving for holistic health of citizens (Cho, 2015). The quality-of-life domain of WHOQOL is divided into physical, psychological, social relations, and environmental domains, which means holistic health. ‘Sustainable development’ means development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In 2015, the UN announced 17 sustainable development goals and 169 targets. A paper on the relationship between healthy city characteristics and sustainability goals was recently published (Bafarasat, 2023). To fully understand this relationship, a historical and logical analysis of healthy cities and sustainable development goals is required. Methods: Literature review, historical analysis, logical analysis Results: identification of the trends of healthy cities and sustainable development by era, identification of the concepts, purposes, characteristics, and indicators in terms of content. and classification of the main contents from the perspective of holistic health as quality of life. Discussion: The qualities of a healthy city and the Sustainable Development Goals mostly overlap and ultimately aim to improve the quality of life. These five areas of SDGs and 17 goals can be found in common with the four areas and 11 characteristics from the perspective of holistic health.

ABSTRACT. This paper investigates the extent in which economic growth achieves the improvement of general well-being. For this purpose we combine input-output analysis with welfare economics to measure whether the sectoral decomposition of economic growth is compatible with the development of economic sectors that better promote social well-being. Thus, we develop a new methodological framework that all countries could implement it. In this paper, we discuss comparative empirical findings for all European Economies.

ABSTRACT. Quality of Life (QoL) is an integral aspect of public health and undergirds social progress – across the globe and throughout the life course. Substantial evidence shows that QoL is closely and often prospectively associated with a wide range of important individual and societal outcomes. QoL thus has significant implications for the development of individuals, communities, and societies, guiding the potential to realize social and economic sustainability. Scandinavian countries have overall high QoL, but Norway has seen a long-term decline across key subjective indicators and disparities are becoming increasingly greater. Progress in tackling these major threats to public health and informing policies going forward relies critically on knowledge and investments in three fundamental domains: monitoring, explaining, and promoting QoL in the population. Norway is now among a few countries pioneering work to develop a national QoL strategy, headed by the Ministry of Health and to be launched in 2024. Since 2018, QoL indicators have been explicitly promoted as steering tools for policy development in Norway and a system of local, regional, and national QoL surveillance has been implemented. The QoL strategy will build and expand on these developments, with further development of measures, monitoring, and above all, implementation of WB research to improve policy and thus individual and community integration and wellbeing. In this talk we will present recent results, updates, and ongoing work related to development of the national QoL strategy and the QoL monitoring system in Norway. We also outline a compass for staying and getting happier together.

ABSTRACT. Social protection policies in developing countries play an important role in preventing, reducing, and eliminating economic and social vulnerabilities to poverty and deprivation. In Fiji these take the form of poverty benefit scheme, food voucher for rural pregnant mothers, social pension schemes, bus fare concession, material support for education and other types of ad-hoc support. In particular these support programs are largely designed to help poor households that are vulnerable to unforeseen income shocks so as to reduce the burden of health costs; improve accessibility to education, and to remove restrains to labour market participation of its members.

This study focuses on understanding the wellbeing effects of various social transfer program on the recipient families in Fiji using its 2021 Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) data. We analyse the varying wellbeing effects of social transfer programs on different sub-samples using various econometric tests to understand its effects in Fiji. In particular, we use propensity score matching techniques and Lewbel method to draw causal inference on the effect of social transfers on wellbeing. Findings from this study is expected to allow governments bodies, non-government organisations and researchers to evaluate the welfare consequences of these welfare programs and design appropriate interventions.

ABSTRACT. Trust is determined by the citizens’ expectations towards the government in facilitating services, and people rely on the behaviour of government officials and political leaders in offering the services to satisfy their timely needs and requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of an immense crisis. COVID-19 and the vaccine roll out is a global and national failure and one of the reasons is the lack in government trust. Initially, people did not trust the lockdown regulations and then the government’s ability to procure and effectively roll out vaccinations. This is problematic because decreased trust leads to less compliance with many public policies and regulations. This paper uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to investigate the most important factors in achieving trust in governments during a crisis. Secondly, we consider if subjective measures, including the level of happiness and different collective emotions of populations, is related to trust in governments. We employ an XGBoost machine learning algorithm (and, as robustness tests, a Random Forest and a Decision Tree algorithm) to train our data. Our output variable is trust in government, which we construct using Big Data by extracting tweets containing specific keywords from Twitter. We use a dataset that includes ten countries in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and variables related to COVID-19, vaccines, country characteristics, happiness level, and collective emotions. Our results provide actionable policy insights to increase trust in governments during times of crisis. Additionally, we highlight the importance of subjective measures to increase government trust.

ABSTRACT. Anthropologist George Appell, the Founder and President of the Borneo Research Council, and his wife Laura devoted their lives to research among the Rungus of Sabah. They noted the importance of an appreciation for and access to the cultural past for peoples experiencing change. People have the capacity to deal with change when their cultural past is viewed positively as a foundation for facing the future. Communities who cannot access their cultural past through museums, ethnographies, histories and other sources, however, often become normless and suffer serious social problems as a result. The intangible cultural heritage (ICH) consisting of oral traditions, music, dance, traditional knowledge and other elements is an important part of the cultural past of Borneo societies. Today, however, many of these heritage sources are preserved only as fragile analogue recordings and transparencies. Although the Sabah State Archives has begun to digitise some of its recorded stories, Sabah lacks public facilities to digitise older recordings and films. There is a great need for a fully-operational digital audiovisual archives to preserve the ICH of its ethnic groups. This presentation discusses the importance of preserving the ICH for Sabah’s cultures, the potential capacity of a proposed audiovisual archives, and the need for safeguarding indigenous copyrights over the ICH of communities.

ABSTRACT. This study investigated the impact of generosity and social support on the happiness of 393 high-income (T20) persons residing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Using a homogeneous convenience sample technique, we discovered that the T20 group had a high average score for happiness (4.76), moderately high scores for generosity (4.37), and social support received (4.02) on a Likert scale of 1 to 6. We used regression analysis to examine the impact of generosity and social support on individuals' T20 happiness while controlling for gender, age, marital status, unemployment, income level, educational level, health level, freedom to make choices in life, and perception of corruption. Regression analysis (R2=57.6%) found that generosity (β=0.115; p<0.01) outperformed social support (β=0.085; p<0.05) in increasing happiness. Furthermore, among T20 participants, increasing income from T1 to T2 did not significantly (p>0.10) improve happiness. The findings of this study may pave the way for the development of a national unity policy to encourage the wealthy to be more active in assisting less fortunate groups or families, particularly since further increases in T20 individuals' income levels can no longer generate additional happiness in themselves. Narratively, T20 individuals' dedication to less fortunate groups or families through the nature of generosity can strengthen their social relationships with every corner of society in need, given that T20 individuals require social support from other individuals in order to generate happiness in themselves. This reciprocal process can boost the happiness of both high-income and low-income families while also strengthening society's social capital network over time.

ABSTRACT. Perinatal health problems are an increasingly recognised problem that can contribute to increased maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. This is especially so in lower and middle income countries (LMIC) where general healthcare infrastructure is poorer with lower penetration of readily available public healthcare services, hence resulting in higher morbidity from perinatal health problems with similar presentations. One of the two largest perinatal health problems are antpartum depressive symptoms (ADS) and antepartum anxiety symptoms (AAS), which respond well to ACT interventions.

A group-delivered ACT intervention for perinatal population with mood and/or anxiety disorders was developed by Cardiff University. This project details an adaptation to the Malaysian setting. The Cultural Adaptation Model (Rogers, 1995) informed the adaptation process and the Ecological Validity Model guided the modification of the intervention content.

The first phase was establishment of an international working group. Phase Two focused on the adaptation of the intervention to the local Malaysian context together with community members, with evaluation measures also selected. Finally, Phase Three outlined the integration of the observations and feedback obtained in Phase Two into a new version of the original intervention, and field testing of the adapted programme. In this phase, the EVM (Bernal & Adames, 2017) informs the process of modification of content, through eight domains that were adapted, in this case from an English language setting to a Malay language setting. Preliminary findings suggest that the adaptation is feasible and tolerable by Malaysian mothers, supported by qualitative feedback.

ABSTRACT. This proposed oral paper presentation addresses how refugee youth do the impossible in Malaysia - graduate from refugee secondary schools. From a resilience perspective, we explore protective factors that help them graduate. Attending a refugee secondary school, much less graduating, is near-impossible in Malaysia because only 30% of secondary school-aged refugees attend school, and the only schools they are allowed to attend are refugee informal learning centers. Refugee informal learning centers are the only option because Malaysia prohibits refugees from going to either public or private school. The overarching questions are (1) How do refugee students stay motivated to finish secondary school, when they are not allowed to work or attend college in Malaysia? (2) What supports (e.g., family, friend, community) help them persist to complete secondary school? (3) How do they describe their well-being, emotions (e.g., awe), and identity? Qualitative interviews are currently being conducted between December, 2023 and February, 2024 with refugee secondary school graduates and teachers in Malaysia. Approximately 15 refugee secondary school graduates and 15 teachers from their refugee schools will be interviewed. Transcripts will be analyzed using thematic analysis, and the themes will be discussed at the presentation. The results of this study hold implications for the resilience and education of the explosive numbers of marginalized refugee youth who have fled to transit countries, with limited hope for resettlement to safer countries. The results may also provide insights into ways to amplify refugee youth well-being, agency, and growth during the ongoing global refugee crisis.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: A high prevalence of depression in rural areas has led to increases in suicidality. Our study aim is to investigate the role of psychological inflexibility as a mediator in the relationship between socioeconomic risk factors and depression in a rural population in Borneo.

Methods: 115 participants were enlisted in this cross-sectional study that utilized convenience sampling of all participants in a community healthcare program. Three questionnaires were used: the sociodemographic risk factor questionnaire, the PHQ-9 questionnaire to measure depression, and the AAQ-II questionnaire to measure psychological inflexibility. The sociodemographic data was analyzed and described using descriptive statistics using IBM SPSS version 28.0. The statistical analysis of the mediating model was carried out using PLS-SEM and SmartPLS 4.0 (Henseler et al., 2016). An indirect effects analysis was performed on the structural model to explain the mediating effect of psychological inflexibility between socioeconomic factors and depression.

Results: The analysis showed that psychological inflexibility acts as a mediator in the relationship between both being married and native, and depression. Other socioeconomic risk factors such as gender, employment, and education level did not mediate between psychological inflexibility and depression.

Conclusion: Marriage and native ethnicity are identified as a buffer and protective factor from psychological inflexibility and depression. Future research should focus on establishing a clearer picture of how marital status and native ethnicity of Sabah affects psychological flexibility and mental health.

ABSTRACT. What the purpose of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is as a measure of economic activity has been debated ever since the term was launched and adopted in the 1930s. In this paper we go through the history of the concept of GDP, the criticism GDP has been met with, and proposed alternatives to GDP. Originally, GDP was constructed based on a need for more overview and a better basis for planned government management of the economy during the Depression and the Second World War. In the post-war period, GDP growth became a central political goal in and of itself. Even though from the very beginning it has been pointed out that GDP is not intended as a measure of welfare, GDP growth has constantly been associated with welfare development. Modern criticism of GDP as a measure of the state of the economy and social development has largely addressed the fact that GDP is poorly suited as a measure of welfare and that the target of GDP growth is unfortunate given the environmental consequences of increasing production and consumption. Several alternative measures of welfare development and environmental concerns have been launched, but none of them have succeeded in becoming as central as GDP. The new measure that has gained the most traction, namely the UN's Human Development Index, has incorporated GDP rather than replaced GDP. We look at alternatives for measuring welfare, alternatives that address environmental concerns, and alternatives that address both welfare and environmental concerns and evaluate these critically.

ABSTRACT. Basic needs are considered to be cross-cultural motivational universals, rooted in human nature, but not totally reduced to genetically based drives. After A.Maslow, who first coined this concept, there had been a number of theoretical speculations on the classification of human basic needs. We are basing on the differentiation of three basic categories associated with three aspects of human existence: as a self-sufficient biological unit, as a part of a social community and as a self-determined conscious agent. Correspondingly, three classes of basic needs are distinguished; the needs of vital existence, the needs of social existence, and existential needs. We elaborated a new SATIS inventory to assess the gratification/strain of 17 basic needs collected from various theoretical models and differentiated by the three categories. SEM analysis provided quite a satisfactory model fit. The validation of the inventory has been done on a sociologically representative samples of two Siberian regions of Russia (N=2472), using also a number of demographic variables, subjective measures of quality of life and well-being and brief measures of a number of positive psychological resources . The results reveal very high predictive value of gratification of all groups of basic needs with regard to all measures of well-being and equally strong correlations with the measures of personality resources. Detailed results and perspectives will be presented. The paper was prepared in the framework of a research grant funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant ID: 075-15-2022-325).

ABSTRACT. As the use of multidimensional indices to assess complex aspects like well-being becomes commonplace in welfare economics, debates persist regarding conceptualization and methodological approaches. Our paper addresses this by proposing the application of Bayesian item response theory (IRT) to model Amartya Sen's capability approach by treating the dimensions of well-being as latent traits. Emphasizing individuals' substantive freedoms and opportunities, the capability approach poses challenges in interpretation, measurement, and application. We employ a multidimensional graded response model within the Bayesian IRT framework, incorporating covariates such as age, gender, and location. Unlike conventional methods, Bayesian models provide results as probabilities, highlighting uncertainty and capturing the nuanced nature of individual well-being. This approach allows for a refined understanding of the likelihood of specific capabilities, aligning with the variability in individuals' abilities to convert resources into well-being, a key aspect of the capability approach. Utilizing longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), a nationally representative household survey, we present findings at both the individual and regional levels. This study represents the first-ever attempt to apply the capability approach within an item response model to measure multidimensional well-being, offering a novel perspective on the assessment of individual freedoms and opportunities in the pursuit of well-being.

ABSTRACT. This study aims to examine factors affecting happiness and to compare happiness level between continents. In this study, happiness is measured by using a Cantril ladder asking respondents to think of a ladder, with the best possible life for them being a 10 and the worst possible life being a 0. A panel regression model was employed for investigating determinants of happiness using the World happiness report database in 2022, with the total sample of 150 countries. The one-way ANOVA was used for a happiness comparison between regions.

The results showed that social support, life expectancy index, freedom and generosity level had a positive effect on the happiness level. While corruption level showed a negative impact on the happiness level. By comparing the happiness level between continents, the differences were found at the significance level of 0.5.

ABSTRACT. This presentation aims to indicate the results of the implementation of the C.W.-SMILE tool that recorded child poverty during 2010–2024. These are the results of eight (8) rounds of an ongoing diachronic research. The C.W.-SMILE tool consists of six dimensions: home conditions (D.1), nutrition (D.2), unemployment of guardians (D.3), free healthcare (D.4), moral education (D.5), and leisure (D.6).

The well-being of children is a society’s chief end, manifested as the (potential) pleasure that they enjoy, originating from certain economic and non-economic factors that determine this chief end, with the most important being education that instills in children what kind of persons they ought to be.

Consistent to the above, the definition of child poverty is the following: Child poverty is the deviation from the chief end of a society, expressed as the (potential) sad feelings that children experience, originating from the deprivation of some economic or/and non-economic factors that determine this chief end, with the most important being an education that instills in children what kind of persons they ought to be. The tool was used to measure the poverty of children in Attica (Greece), through questionnaires that were circulated in public schools. The sample consisted of children belonging to three distinct school categories. The results are mapped in seven clusters.

Finally, this presentation suggests policies of social welfare by taking into account the demographic and the social insurance. In the light of the above this presentation is within the sphere of the economic demography.

ABSTRACT. This presentation aims to indicate the results of the implementation of the C.W.-SMILE tool that recorded child well-being during 2023–2024 in the whole country of Greece. This is the eighth (8th ) round of an ongoing diachronic research. The C.W.-SMILE tool consists of six dimensions: home conditions (D.1), nutrition (D.2), unemployment of guardians (D.3), free healthcare (D.4), moral education (D.5), and leisure (D.6). The first three dimensions concern children’s economic well-being, while the latter three dimensions determine children’s non-economic well-being. Based on welfare economics, the combination of economic well-being and non-economic well-being constitutes children’s general (social) well-being. Each dimension consists of Simple Indicators.

By taking Plato (in Philebus), Edgeworth, Aristotle, and Arthur Cecil Pigou into account, a definition of child well-being is formulated as follows: The well-being of children is a society’s chief end, manifested as the (potential) pleasure that they enjoy, originating from certain economic and non-economic factors that determine this chief end, with the most important being education that instills in children what kind of persons they ought to be.

The tool was used to measure the well-being of children in Greece, through questionnaires that were circulated in public schools. The sample consisted of children belonging to three distinct school categories. The results are mapped out in 13 regions of Greece.

Finally, this presentation suggests policies for improving child well-being by taking into account the demographic and social insurance. In the light of the above this presentation is within the sphere of the economic demography.