ABSTRACT. We use longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to study how the onset of bodily or physical pain affects reported loneliness. We estimate a series of conditional mixed-process models and find that an exogenous worsening in bodily pain significantly increases loneliness. The adverse effect of pain on loneliness is explained by a reduction in the frequency of social connection with family and friends. Our results underscore the importance of supporting individuals who experience significant bodily pain, given that such pain can translate into more social pain reflected in greater loneliness.

ABSTRACT. Mental health problems impose significant costs, yet healthcare systems often overlook them. We provide the first causal evidence on the effectiveness of a nationwide-scaled mental health service in England for treating depression and anxiety using non-experimental data and methods. We exploit oversubscription and resulting exogenous variation in waiting times across areas and time for identification, based on a novel dataset of over one million patients. We find that treatment improves mental health and reduces impairment in work and social life. We provide suggestive evidence that it enhances employment. Impacts vary across patients and services. Nevertheless, the programme is highly cost-effective.

ABSTRACT. Within a context of uncertainty driven by political, social, financial, and health crises, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz emphasized the fundamental role of well-being in creating value. The 2009 Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi report highlighted well-being’s multidimensional nature, stressing that quality of life extends beyond self-reports to include functionings, freedoms, and capabilities. This paper explores the benefits of addressing **moral injury** for individuals and organizations. Originally linked to war and violence, moral injury describes the profound distress caused by moral transgressions. The concept gained traction in the 1980s, influenced by the psychological impact of the Vietnam War and advancements in cognitive psychology, which deepened our understanding of moral judgment and trauma. If moral injury and PTSD can occur in similar contexts, the main symptoms are different (Shay, 1994, 2014, Litz 2009). It occurs when individuals act against their values, witness unethical actions, or are powerless to prevent them, resulting in an “inner fracture.” Initially studied in military contexts, moral injury has since been recognized in fields such as business, healthcare, and justice, highlighting its societal relevance. This paper will define moral injury and examine its recent developments in France and the UK. It will analyze research and policy efforts addressing moral distress in the workplace and present a comparative case study on how moral injury research helps alleviate suffering, improve workplace well-being, and restore trust. Supporting morally wounded individuals is key to fostering a nation’s moral resilience.

ABSTRACT. To study wellbeing is also to study illbeing. GNHUSA has gained success in the US focusing on "pursuit of happiness" as an objective, but media and funding sources often focus on problems rather than solutions. On any given day, 1 in 20 Americans is experiencing despair, and our research helps identify the reasons provided for this challenge.

Our global survey interviewed 5000 people, investigating (1) what messaging encourages support to wellbeing nonprofits, (2) the main drivers are to despair vs happiness and (3) the policies people think would resolve their despair.

ABSTRACT. The Book ‘Founding Principles of Culture Based Development – CBD: The Economics of WHY?’ is the economic hitchhikers’ guide through the universe of culture, its definition and quantification for economic analysis purposes. The book offers the much needed and long-awaited definition of culture in economic terms, offering an in-depth transdisciplinary depth to this definition and the whole taxonomy and ontology of CBD as a paradigm. The overview of the book will focus on the structure of the book and what can be found in it in each chapter. Namely, each chapter starts with the original CBD value added, provides the economic theory behind it, continues with the empirical theory and actual summary of the existing CBD empirical papers that illustrate the theory. Each chapter finishes also with special type of policy implications focused on the unique cultural policy and human development approach known as aesthetic education, tackled from a learning city-relevant perspective. Understanding the logic of the structure of this book can help the reader to go faster and more efficient into the main insights offered by the book and start using them successfully in their own research.

ABSTRACT. Culture-based development (CBD) pays special attention to how language can be used to capture and understand people's happiness on the aggregate level in a nuanced psychological manner. Indian culture is rooted in collectivist values, which also define the notions of happiness and well-being. Happiness is deeply connected to various psychological and linguistic factors, where language serves as the means of expression of emotions or cultural wisdom, influencing the perceptions of happiness. There is also an ongoing special issue on Culture Based Development in the regions of India, which has a special accent on language. As a well-being and happiness researcher who has an established interest in the field of measuring happiness and with a focus on India, I want to share my insights on potential extensions of the CBD’s take on language in the psychological realm of measuring happiness.

ABSTRACT. As a happiness economist and regional economist, I can offer my reflections on the material in the CBD paradigm from various points of view. Regrading happiness economics, CBD explains how culture is the measure of good and bad, that actually defines utility, happiness and value. And CBD explains this from an evolutionary economic perspective that has a Keynesian ring to it. Besides this originality that the book offers, I would like to highlight the special place that the author has dedicated on clarifying the link and crucial differences between social capital (that many economists are relatively familiar with) and cultural capital – which is a notion much more obscure still in the economics realm, but far not so in other realms as the book meticulously explains in a manner translated for quantitatively ambitious economists. I would like to finish off my reflections on the book from the point of view of the presence of three main sections in each book chapter: theoretical, empirical and a related literature review section.

ABSTRACT. As a young researcher who has been bread as a member of the new generation of experts in Culture Based Development, I want to share my insights on why and how the methodological instruction in the new book by Annie Tubadji can be useful to researchers who endeavour to undertake a CBD type of analysis for the first time. I will share two sets of points. Firstly, I will share with candidate-novices in the CBD research field the five reasons why I wish I had read this book before writing my PhD papers. This is based on the fact that the book actually provides a useful compendium on the existing CBD papers and the theoretical and methodological specificities of each of them. This part of the book is entitled PRACTICE and is present in each chapter. I will also share with you the five questions I still want to ask about CBD and its methodology. I hope we will hear further insights on the latter five points from the author of the paradigm chairing the special session.

ABSTRACT. Statistical analysis of life satisfaction data standardly assumes 1) linear scale use 2) interpersonal comparability 3) intertemporal comparability. To interrogate the credibility of these assumptions, we need to understand the reporting function: the process by which individuals make life evaluations and then map them to a category on the response scale. We develop a formal model of the reporting function that informs questions in long cognitive interviews of a diverse sample of 100 residents of the United Kingdom. Our results bear out previous efforts to validate life satisfaction scales. However, we also find widespread, severe, systematic, and non-random violations of all three standard assumptions. In particular, many respondents do not use the top of the scale, major shocks appear to alter the meaning of the points on the scale, older people are more likely to interpret life satisfaction questions as referring to how life went rather than how it is going, and respondents rarely describe their own scale use as linear.

ABSTRACT. Policymakers must make choices between allocating resources to boost (near-term and longer-term) wellbeing of the current generation and the (long-term) wellbeing of future generations. Intertemporal economic policy choices therefore require adoption of a social discount rate (SDR). However, use of exponential discounting with even a low SDR raises concerns that long-term wellbeing payoffs to future generations (e.g. from environmental outcomes or from social cohesion) are heavily discounted. Currently, several aspects differentiate countries’ SDRs. Some adopt a ‘social opportunity cost of capital’ based on the return to an alternative investment, while some adopt a ‘social rate of time preference’ based on a social welfare function defined over present and future wellbeing. Ramsey (1928) showed that the two rates are identical provided certain assumptions hold. Furthermore, some countries adopt a single rate for the SDR which applies to all aspects of the future, while some adopt multiple discount rates (e.g. for market versus environmental outcomes); multiple SDRs reflect differential rates of resource scarcity over time. I develop an alternative approach in which different components that contribute to wellbeing are discounted by the individual (or society) using commodity-specific rates of pure time preference (independent of scarcity). This approach, which is consistent with Debreu’s treatment of goods, imposes fewer arbitrary restrictions on an individual’s utility function or on society’s social welfare function than existing approaches. In addition, differential rates are adopted for intragenerational versus intergenerational discounting. A range of models illustrates that adoption of a lower rate of pure time preference for certain goods (e.g. for environmental outcomes or social cohesion) increases the relative future consumption of those goods.

ABSTRACT. Using data from a survey on parents and children conducted in Luxembourg in 2021, the paper assesses the convergence between parent and child ratings of children’s socio-emotional health. We find that parents underestimate their children’s socio-emotional problems compared to children’s self-reports, particularly in the hyperactivity/inattention and emotional subscales. The underestimation is more pronounced for daughters during adolescence, while mothers tend to overestimate their daughters’ problems more than their sons’. Surprisingly, highly educated parents exhibit greater parent-child rating divergence compared to lower educated parents. Financial difficulties correlate with higher divergence, driven by parental overestimation. Through a second data collection, we administer an information provision experiment, aiming to investigate whether informing parents of the average parent-child rating gap influences their first- and second-order beliefs on their children’s wellbeing and induces changes in plans for future investments on child socio-emotional health. Data analysis offers insights on the role of informational frictions on parental beliefs and their implications for child development.

ABSTRACT. Neo-humanism is a cultural movement to prioritize people over markets by re-orienting social and economic activities. Research on subjective well-being provides valuable insights to promote sustainable development in modern societies, a target that has proved to be elusive so far. Neo-humanism offers a unifying narrative and indicates that it is possible to decouple consumption from subjective well-being, creating conditions for socially and environmentally sustainable high-quality lives. On one hand, evidence suggests that it is possible to promote a virtuous cycle in which investing in subjective well-being, through policies for social relations, reduces the need to consume and supports collective action, which is necessary to protect the environment and to improve subjective well-being. Higher well-being, on the other hand, contributes to efficiency gains that can be used to reduce working time, and to decouple income (and consumption) from subjective well-being. This decoupling will contribute to high quality of life, and to a socially and environmentally compatible economy; an economy that is driven by creativity not conspicuous consumption. Neo-humanism calls for a new definition of progress, such as one that reflects societies' ability to transform resources into high quality of life. Neo-humanism does not argue for de-growth but refutes the agenda of growth at any cost. The evidence suggests that economic growth is compatible with subjective well-being growth only under certain conditions, such as full employment, generous social safety nets, strong social relations, and limited income inequality. Under these conditions, the economy might grow slowly, but slow or near-zero economic growth could actually signal systems that better support quality of life.

ABSTRACT. Starting with clear working definitions of sustainability and of wellbeing, this paper develops a framework for analyzing the relationship between human wellbeing and sustainability, across academic and policy contexts.

To understand the variety of approaches, and in order to assess their usefulness for informing policy, I propose an analytic discourse and framework which separates out the concepts of collective action problems; long-term uncertainty (or ambiguity); and the empirical knowledge on human wellbeing.

To identify key patterns in how the concepts of wellbeing and sustainability are defined and how the relationship between them is conceived, I draw on diverse sources, including Solow's weak sustainability; two recent academic collections (books) on sustainability and happiness, or quality of life; as well as a thread of recent journal articles; the Canadian government's Quality of Life framework; the Wellbeing Economy Alliance approach; the WHO's Geneva Charter for Well-being; and the UN SDGs.

I review the various approaches articulated in these case studies, the history of how public joint discourse on the two topics has affected progress both in bringing the evidence on wellbeing to policy and on achieving sustainability.

ABSTRACT. Eudaimonia is a virtue-laden concept of human wellbeing that has recently seen a resurgence within ecological economics. However, there has been a misunderstanding of what it entails, with its current understanding being rooted within utilitarian principles, creating a dangerous contradiction. According to Aristotle, the highest of all goods achievable by human action is eudaimonia, which does not translate to mean happiness (common utilitarian misconception); it is not simply the extent to which people feel good, satisfied with their lives, etc. It should lead to a meaningful life based on self-truth and self-responsibility, meaning to know oneself and choose who and how to be. In a eudaimonic context, an individual flourishes within the broader society, both in the present and the future (opening discussions about intra- and inter-generation justice). Eudaimonia is contrasting to hedonic conceptions of wellbeing where one is atomised and isolated, focusing on pleasure through consumption (in the case of a capitalist society). Current issues within ecological economics lie in the metrics used. Measuring wellbeing is done either subjectively or objectively. However, the main methods used extensively nowadays are subjective ones based on self-assessment of an individual’s experiences, which discount eudaimonia altogether. Furthermore, although hedonism does not rule out the idea of active citizenship, the concept of eudaimonia is based on it as a basic prerequisite of achieving a state of eudaimonia. A degrowth future is based on a planned and democratic transformation of the economic system, which in turn aims to reduce ecological impact, along with various aspects of inequality, while improving human wellbeing. The goal of this presentation is to define eudaimonia within the context of degrowth; accounting for specific goals of degrowth that become values embedded in a novel definition of eudaimonia, moving the discussion of anthropocentrism/ecocentrism in post-Aristotelian thinking.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines empirical evidence and explanations of the relationship between economic growth, well-being, and social and environmental sustainability over nearly the past 50 years. While economic growth has increased the availability of private goods, it has led to the deterioration of common goods such as the environment and social relations. This has contributed to declining levels of well-being in many countries. Drawing on the literature on subjective well-being, this paper contains two main messages. The first is that economic growth can increase well-being if its potential to erode commons is contained, regulated and controlled, which has not been the case over the past half century. Shifting the policy priority from economic growth to well-being can enable sustainable growth. The second message is that there are effective ways to increase well-being other than economic growth. We focus on social capital as a prominent example of a non-income driver of well-being that can be fostered through low-cost policies. Expanding well-being without growth is important because, given the available technologies, the lesser the economic activity, the smaller its environmental impact. The possibility to increase well-being without increasing the economic activity suggests a new narrative of progress outside the economic growth paradigm, which is regarded as the primary way to achieve better lives. By deflating the conflict between well-being and the environment, this new narrative could promote an upgrade of the environmental priority by the public.

ABSTRACT. For the majority of employees, commuting is an integral part of everyday working life, although the time spent commuting to work varies greatly. In this paper, we analyse how differences in daily commuting time relate to job satisfaction. In doing so, we contribute to the literature in two ways: First, while most previous studies have relied on cross-sectional data, we use longitudinal data and focus on intraindividual differences, allowing us to better address selection into commuting and unobserved heterogeneity. Second, the mechanisms through which commuting time influences job satisfaction have rarely been studied. Therefore, we take a first step and examine the role of two groups of potential mediating factors: labour market returns and working conditions. Following economic theories, one could assume that employees are only willing to accept longer commuting time if this results in higher labour market returns—which in turn should increase job satisfaction. In contrast, based on approaches from work and occupational health psychology, one could expect that longer commuting time affects employees’ immediate work experience as it compresses the available working time—which might likely decrease job satisfaction.

Our analyses are based on unique panel data from the German BAuA-Working Time Survey for the years 2015 to 2023. We apply both pooled OLS and fixed effects regression models to account for time-constant unobserved heterogeneity. As potential mediators, we include wages, qualification match and permanent contracts as labour market returns as well as emotional exhaustion, social support and time pressure as work-related conditions.

Our findings show that longer commuting time is associated with reduced job satisfaction. While this relationship seems not to be mediated by the labour market returns considered, we find that poorer working conditions that go along with longer commutes play an important role for the negative association between commuting time and job satisfaction.

ABSTRACT. This paper analyses the relationship between weekend commuting and subjective well-being (SWB). Weekend commuting is a form of multilocality in which one partner remains in the origin location while the other establishes a second residence close to the workplace and commutes mostly on a weekly basis. While it does provide some opportunities to reconcile the careers of both partners, it comes with additional burdens on weekend commuters and their partners – especially in terms of housework contribution and stress. Furthermore, the link between weekend commuting and SWB is likely to be gendered, as the SWB of women might be negatively affected by their deviation from societal norms regarding a spatially close nuclear family. Conversely, female weekend commuters might also form a selective group of individuals who realize their career aspirations (and ‘defy the odds’) through this type of spatial mobility, resulting in positive well-being effects. The presence of (school-age) children might result in more complex gendered relationships between commuting and SWB. Our study adds to previous literature – mainly focused on mental health or partnership satisfaction - by analysing the effects of weekend commuting on overall life satisfaction. We use panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and analyse changes in both partners’ well-being when one partner starts weekend commuting from a dyadic perspective. By also considering changes in the partners’ housework contribution and income while stratifying by gender and parenthood, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of what shapes the well-being of weekend commuters and their partners. To deal with the selectivity of the group of weekend commuters, we deploy fixed effects (FE) panel regression models. We have currently done some conceptual considerations and a review of the relevant literature and will present empirical findings at the conference.

ABSTRACT. A first strand of literature emphasises that long commutes are associated with stress and strain, which may have negative effects on subjective well-being (SWB, e.g. life satisfaction or health). A second strand of literature emphasises that working from home (WFH) can reduce commuting effort. Accordingly, scholars often argue that working from home can reduce the burden of commuting on SWB, as commuting is not necessary when working full days from home. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this theoretical conclusion, especially using panel data. This paper aims to connect the two strands of literature by investigating how WFH moderates the negative effect of commuting on SWB. We apply fixed effects (FE) panel regression models to data from the Working Time Survey of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA-WTS), a probability-based large sample representative of the German working population. The BAuA-WTS, conducted biennially between 2015 and 2023, includes about 8,500 employed respondents in 2017, 2019, and 2023, and about 17,500 respondents in 2015 and 2021. Analyses are carried out separately for men and women. We also consider the COVID-19 pandemic as a temporal factor potentially influencing the relationships considered here, since it has reshaped both commuting patterns and the adoption of WFH practices. The results show that long commutes increase health complaints and work-related exhaustion, while WFH reduces both. Interaction models reveal that the negative effects of commuting on health complaints and work-related exhaustion are reduced by increasing the use of WFH. Additionally, gender differences indicate that women tend to experience stronger burdens from commuting and greater relief from WFH compared to men. Taken together, this evidence suggests that in addition to the overall positive effect of WFH on SWB, WFH alleviates commuting-related burdens on SWB.

ABSTRACT. This study examines the relationship between time use and well-being among university students with different living arrangements: on-site, off-site, and commuting. Conducted at the University of Messina, the research employs the Flourishing Scale (FS), the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE), and a life satisfaction measure to assess well-being. The study aims to understand how students' time allocation in studying, commuting, leisure, and work influences their emotional and psychological health.

Findings reveal distinct well-being patterns across the three groups. On-site students benefit from proximity to campus, which facilitates social and recreational activities, positively impacting their well-being. Off-site students experience significant well-being benefits from leisure and academic activities, suggesting that living independently near campus fosters a balanced lifestyle. Contrary to expectations, commuting students exhibit resilience, with travel time showing a slight positive correlation with life satisfaction. This challenges the assumption that commuting negatively affects student well-being and highlights the adaptability of this group.

The study underscores that well-being interventions should not solely focus on reducing commuting stress but should also enhance emotional stability, social support, and recreational opportunities across all student categories. The findings provide valuable insights for university policies aimed at fostering student well-being by addressing the specific needs of each group.

By adopting a multidimensional approach, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of how living arrangements and time management influence student life satisfaction. Future studies should expand the analysis to other Italian universities to explore regional variations. The results contribute to broader discussions on improving student mental health and academic outcomes, informing policies that support diverse student living conditions and enhance overall well-being. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the funding from PNRR -Mission4, Component2, Investment 1.1 -Prin2022 Call for Proposals PNRR-DD No. 104 of 02/02/2022, project title Depopulation Risk: Experiences, Mobility and Subjective Well-being (DREAMS), CUP-J53D23009490006, id-2022RNKSEL

ABSTRACT. Policy making has long focused on economic growth as measured by changes in gross domestic product (GDP), obstructing attention on sustainable and inclusive well-being. Despite high-quality proposals to measure development beyond GDP, their integration into policy and societal discourse remains limited. There is a need to unite existing efforts and to establish and implement a global measurement framework.

To provide a basis for this process, we consolidate 50 years of literature on Beyond GDP metrics, addressing three core challenges. First, we resolve the lack of interdisciplinary collaboration by integrating five scientific schools of thought in one measurement approach. Second, we resolve the confusion arising from numerous Beyond GDP alternatives by offering a structured analysis of 65 metrics and their measurement objectives. Finally, we bridge the divide between scientific proposals and country-specific approaches. We discuss how country-specific needs can be integrated into a standardised and interdisciplinary measurement approach, resulting in a dashboard for sustainable and inclusive well-being.

ABSTRACT. In response to the flaws of GDP as the primary measure of socio-economic progress, numerous beyond-GDP indicators have been proposed. These aim to better capture societal well-being and steer policymaking. However, no beyond-GDP alternative has been able to remove GDP from its dominant position. We have surprisingly little knowledge about what determines support for, or resistance to, an alternative to beyond-GDP indicator, both for citizens and policymakers. This paper argues that the persistence of GDP despite its flaws relies on certain appeal attributes. Hence, for a beyond-GDP indicator to overcome GDP dominance, it must be perceived as equally appealing. We propose a framework that distinguishes three key dimensions of appeal. First, statistical appeal denotes the ability of an indicator to accurately measure countries’ performances and well-being outcomes and be easily calculated in a consistent way over time and among countries. To be statistically appealing, an indicator should therefore be able to rely on valid, accurate, and timely data, as well as a standardised and transparent calculation method. Second, policy-assessment appeal refers to the capacity of integrating alternative indicators into macroeconomic analysis and models, either for ex-ante policies evaluation or ex-post analysis of implemented policies. Third, communicative appeal denotes the effectiveness of an indicator in resonating with relevant stakeholders, such as experts, journalists, citizens, policymakers and politicians. To illustrate the framework, the paper compares several potential beyond-GDP measures on the basis of these criteria.

ABSTRACT. There is wide agreement in academia and international organisations that moving away from GDP growth as an overarching policy aim could improve welfare, equity and sustainability outcomes of policies. The introduction of beyond-GDP approaches is a clear response to this. It has, though, not yet weakened the dominance of GDP in policy making and public debate. One reason is a huge diversity of initiatives and little agreement on which direction to go. While studies have examined opinions by users of indicators, such as politicians and policymakers, views of producers of indicators have received little attention. Appraising the perspective of producers can help to identify viable pathways to overcome barriers and identify opportunities for making progress on beyond-GDP indicators. To this end, we undertake semi-structured interviews with indicator experts working in national statistical offices, including economists, statisticians and others. This explores their views or preferences on, among others, indicator types, data availability, aggregation and weighting of sub-indicators, international harmonization, and meeting specific demands from potential users. In addition, we will inquire about positive and negative experiences with beyond-GDP metrics so far. To allow for a wide variety of outlooks, the sample will comprise experts from countries that have experimented already with specific beyond-GDP approaches and those that have not.

ABSTRACT. This paper presents a novel framework that redefines happiness as a public good characterized by positive externalities, non-rivalry, and non-excludability. We posit that investments in happiness, particularly at the governmental level, generate widespread societal benefits that extend beyond individual consumption. By integrating well-being into traditional public goods theory, we offer a fresh perspective for incorporating happiness into economic and social policy discussions. Our model explores how happiness investments produce spillover effects across industries and international borders, contributing to public good production. We address the free-rider problem inherent in public goods and propose policy measures to encourage active participation. By linking externality theory with public goods characteristics, our research enriches interdisciplinary dialogues in happiness economics and public policy. This paper provides a theoretical foundation for policymakers and leaders to recognize happiness as a vital factor in enhancing societal welfare and driving positive social change.

ABSTRACT. As the 24/7 economy has developed, a body of research has investigated whether nonstandard work schedules (NWSs; schedules that fall outside conventional nine-to-five, Monday to Friday schedules) affect family wellbeing outcomes, such as work-family conflict. However, limited attention has been paid to examining whether NWSs have differential influences on the two dimensions of work-family conflict: work-to-family conflict (i.e., work roles interfere with family life) and family-to-work conflict (i.e., family demands interfere with work). Furthermore, little research has been conducted in the context of Hong Kong, where live-in domestic helpers are commonly hired to manage domestic work. This investigation explored the association between NWSs and the two dimensions of work-family conflict, with a focus on the moderating role of domestic helpers in the association. Regression results, based on survey data from parents with preschoolers in Hong Kong (N=458), revealed that those who worked NWSs had higher levels of both work-to-family and family-to-work conflict. However, the negative association was attenuated when parents employed a domestic helper. The buffering effect of domestic helpers was particularly pronounced for family-to-work conflict. These findings suggest that while NWSs are a work characteristic that generates both work-to-family and family-to-work conflict, domestic helpers play an important role in mitigating work-family conflict, especially family-to-work conflict, resulting from working atypical schedules. Support for parents who work NWSs but cannot afford a domestic helper is warranted.

ABSTRACT. Addressing stress and enhancing happiness are important for well-being, especially in the face of increasing economic challenges. This study investigates the relationship between stress and happiness, focusing on how lifestyle practices affect stress levels and happiness scores. Data were collected from the HAPPINOMETER survey, which included 3,430 university employees in Thailand in 2024. The objectives of this study are threefold: (1) to examine the correlation between stress levels and happiness scores, (2) to investigate the influence of lifestyle practices- such as relaxation, meditation, volunteering, savings, and building relationships-on stress and happiness; and (3) to explore how lifestyle practices influence the relationship between stress and happiness. The findings reveal an inverse relationship between stress and happiness, indicating that increased stress is associated with lower happiness scores. All lifestyle practices studied significantly predict stress levels, with relaxation and financial savings demonstrating the strongest effects. Specifically, relaxation increases the odds of being in a lower stress level by 4.17 times, while savings increase these odds by 1.80 times. Similarly, lifestyle practices also significantly predict happiness, explaining 12.6% of its variance (R² = 0.126). Among these, relaxation (B = 0.868) and savings (B = 0.605) exhibit the strongest positive effects on happiness, followed by meditation, volunteering, and relationships with neighbors. Notably, exercise does not show a statistically significant direct effect on happiness when controlling for other practices. These findings emphasize the importance of promoting lifestyle practices that reduce stress and enhance happiness, particularly focusing on relaxation, financial planning, and mindfulness. Integrating such practices into workplace and community programs could serve as an effective strategy for improving overall well-being.

ABSTRACT. This study examines the effect of a well-being training program on financial indicators within a company. The intervention impacted the overall well-being of collaborators in the lamination area of a manufacturing plant. Psychometrically validated well-being scales were used, and organizational financial indicators were incorporated. Data were collected from 140 employees and their supervisors, with measurements taken pre and post-intervention. The interventions focused on evidence-based practices to promote behaviors of gratitude, kindness, and leadership. Pre-intervention results revealed a perception of lack of recognition and support from leaders, affecting the overall well-being of employees. Post-intervention results showed significant improvements in various indicators. The article demonstrates how leadership, kindness, and gratitude practices significantly improve the well-being of collaborators. The intervention positively impacted organizational financial indicators such as absenteeism, employee turnover, and overtime hours.

ABSTRACT. The knowledge sector requires agile, teamwork and interactions between them becomes crucial. Traditional office space designs of open-plan offices hinder focus and add distractions while cubicles prevent interactions between employees. Proximity can enhance group interactions and is a way to more face-to-face communication which is one of the direct and effective ways to coordinate. Research also says that the frequency of spontaneous and informal communication is effective in improving ties between employees and helps employees who work together in their tasks. Proximity between employees and teams should be carefully thought out such that it does not hamper focus at the same time encourages team interactions. We worked on the idea of flexibility in proximity and its effect on intra-team climate. In this study, we explored this aspect of flexibility to see how it can enhance building better teams and the ways in which elements of design can build and alter relations in teams. Our study found that subjective well-being improved when offices had flexibility in proximity which further created a team collaborative climate and further, the subjective well-being of employees became negative with a team competitive climate.

ABSTRACT. International competition for university students to meet the growing global demand for skill has led to a rise in the proportion of students who are the first in their family seeking a degree qualification. Currently first in family students make up between a quarter and a third of all new enrolments in most OECD countries. Increasingly drawn from working-class, colonised, immigrant and refugee families, first-in-family students are believed to face more obstacles in obtaining advanced education because the learning environment is culturally different from their own. One of the consequences is believed to be their lower level of psychological wellbeing. Such stereotypes also prevail in New Zealand but in the absence of supporting evidence. The purpose of this paper is to question the prevailing narrative by comparing the subjective wellbeing of first-in-family students with those whose parents and siblings are graduates. Using a survey of first year students at Victoria University of Wellington in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (N=4000) the wellbeing status of first-in-family students is significantly lower in the bivariate model but is unrelated to the education of their parents after controlling for age, sex and ethnicity, personality, school background, health, financial status and family support.

ABSTRACT. Antecedents of wellbeing across different socio-cultural contexts is a question that psychologists and other social scientist continue to grapple with. Although evidence supporting higher educational levels as being beneficial for wellbeing is significant, there are still contradictory findings, necessitating further exploration into this relationship. Moreover, current evidence seems to focus mostly on data derived from Western samples and have adopted limited measures of wellbeing. The present study explores the relationship between schooling and a subset of 31 wellbeing-related categories in the Gallup World Poll conducted over three years (2020–2022), encompassing 386,654 individuals in 142 countries. The findings indicate that overall participants with higher levels of education fare better than those with lower levels of education. However, disaggregation and comparison across key social indicators, specifically, country/region of residence, sex and age showed that there were instances where higher levels of education were less beneficial for wellbeing. While acknowledging the importance of education for wellbeing, our findings suggest the need to consider how unique socio-cultural factors might further complicate the benefits of education. We also suggest that governments might need to consider what policies are necessary to make the benefits of education more apparent and ubiquitous.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the impact of code-switching and code-mixing on the well-being of language learners at Beninese Centre For Foreign Languages(CEBELAE) in a multilingual learning environment. Code-switching, the practice of alternating between languages, and code-mixing, the blending of two or more languages within communication, are common phenomena in bilingual or multilingual settings. This research examines how these linguistic strategies affect learners' psychological well-being, including their confidence, self-esteem, stress levels, and social integration. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and classroom observations involving students and instructors. The findings suggest that code-switching and code-mixing can both positively and negatively impact learners’ well-being, depending on the context and the learners' comfort with the languages in use. On the positive side, these practices foster a sense of community and ease among learners, allowing for more effective communication and reducing feelings of alienation. However, in some cases, learners reported anxiety or confusion when switching between languages, particularly when they felt their proficiency in either language was inadequate. The study highlights the need for a nuanced approach to language instruction, where educators are mindful of the emotional and psychological effects of language practices, and encourages further exploration into the role of multilingualism in shaping learners' educational experiences and personal development.

ABSTRACT. Background: To seek the WHO mission that aims to “close the gap in a generation” and eliminate health inequality, the present study builds upon an inter-generational framework that investigates the effect of parental education attainment on inter-relationships among parents and their children over the life course in psychological well-being, namely self-esteem, depressive symptomatology, and emotional loneliness.

Methods: A face-to-face interview was conducted among 4,230 community parents and their adolescents participating in the Taiwan Youth Project. For both parents and their adolescent children, depressive symptomatology was assessed by Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R); self-esteem was measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; and a single-item emotional loneliness.

Findings: Preliminary analysis applies to Structural Equation Modelling to predict an intergenerational model that indicates parental psychological well-being and their children's risky lifestyle in early life mediate the impact of parental education on children’s psychological well-being in adolescence, even adjusting for individual characteristics. Parents with lower levels of education were more likely to exhibit greater levels of depressive symptomatology (β = -0.04, p<0.05), higher levels of parental self-esteem (β = 0.12, p<0.001), and be associated with greater levels of early-life risky lifestyle (β = -0.06, p<0.01) that mediated the inter-relationships in psychological well-being between parents and their children.

Discussion: These preliminary findings suggest strong, inter-generational relationships among psychological well-being; parental education even appears to have a fundamental impact on the relationship. Life-course models will be further investigated in the family socioeconomic context.

ABSTRACT. The ontological turn in social sciences has revealed the anthropocentrism of earlier literature, but the role of interspecies relations in well-being ideals remains less explored. AIM: We examine the role of interspecies relations in well-being conceptions. The study is conducted among Indigenous communities to capture alternative human realities to those mainly reflected in the academic well-being literature. The study asks: what are the perspectives of selected Indian Indigenous communities on interspecies relations and well-being, and what is the role of the interspecies relations in their well-being and happiness conceptions? METHOD: The research was conducted qualitatively using an immersive study technique, participatory observation and interviews, in eight villages in Central India. The material was analysed by participatory analysis and qualitative coding. FINDINGS: The respondents form an ‘interspecies community’ with most of the nonhumans: the respondents had familial, reciprocal and caring relations with nonhumans, and perceived both the humans and nonhumans to similarly depend on a shared ecology. Such caring relations that relate to a sense of connection, and the well-being of the local humans and nonhumans were seen as important for human happiness. The caring relations towards the nonhumans, and sense of interdependency with the interspecies community tie the well-being of nonhumans to the local well-being conceptions. CONCLUSION: The local perspectives emphasize and respect the well-being of the nonhumans more than the predominant academic well-being conceptions.

ABSTRACT. Mama Mkubwa Model (MMM) is an Indigenous community-based model practiced in Africa from pre-colonial times to upholding a child's physical and mental health, social relationships, and sense of well-being. The model is similarly experienced in Tanzania and Uganda as a relevant Ubuntu model for Early Child Development in Africa. From Ubuntu's perspective, Women are most trusted for the provision of parental care and child rights on behalf of the community as they embrace good integrity, compassion, tenderness, voluntariness, and passion for children. The model is holistic and collective in nature and functions across various ecological intersections in the society including individuals, family, extended family members, groups, clans, local leaders, customary laws, and the community at large. During colonial rule in Tanzania and Uganda, the imposition of new social welfare systems distorted the Indigenous models including MMM and the countries took the relevant initiative to restore traditional social welfare systems including MMM in the post-colonial era. MMM gained popularity during the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the 1990s to address the complex needs of vulnerable children (OVC and MVC) when the formal social welfare system was overwhelmed. Results have shown that MMM contributed to improving the quality of life of children through the provision of psychosocial care and support, parental care, happiness, physical health, social relationships, sense of well-being, family attachment, access to basic education and health. The sustainability of MMM guarantees the quality of life of children as it originates within the community and it puts a greater emphasis on strengthening community-based action under the values of communality, family-hood, cooperation, voluntary, interdependence holistic, etc. Therefore, MMM renders opportunities to be integrated with formal childcare systems by creating a supportive environment and holistic protection of child rights in the community.

ABSTRACT. This inquiry aimed to identify and analyse the core components of well-being in Malawi, focusing on how these elements are influenced by the country's diverse cultural values and social changes. Utilising a qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 elderly individuals who identify as custodians of culture, with purposive sampling ensuring representation from each of Malawi's three regions: northern, central, and southern. Data analysis employed reflexive thematic analysis, with data translated from local languages and transcribed into English, then analysed using Quirkos qualitative data analysis software. The findings reveal that well-being in Malawi is profoundly shaped by its rich cultural, belief, and value systems, mainly through the lens of Ubuntu—a philosophy emphasising humanity towards others. Economic well-being is intricately linked to collective prosperity principles inherent in Ubuntu, as reflected in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), which promotes sustainable economic growth across agriculture, energy, and tourism. However, cultural values prioritising community over individual gain influence these financial strategies. Health status emerges as a critical dimension of well-being, influenced by a blend of modern health policies and traditional practices. Ceremonies like Mlakho wa Alhomwe and Umthetho incorporate health-related rituals, while Gule Wankulu highlights the tension between cultural significance and health risks. Mental health is increasingly recognised as vital, shaped by strong community support networks, yet these norms can create pressures impacting mental well-being. Food security and nutrition are essential for physical and cognitive development, deeply rooted in cultural practices that celebrate communal eating despite ongoing food insecurity challenges. Furthermore, hospitality, relationality, and religiosity foster belonging and community cohesion. This research constitutes Phase Two of a broader PhD project titled "Conceptualisation and Measurement of Well-being in Malawi: A Cultural Consensus Model,"

ABSTRACT. The scope of the well-being concept is broad, evident in its varying definitions across disciplines. Yet, the role of individual worldviews in shaping its understanding remains underexplored. This paper investigates how the worldview of ‘being’ impacts the conceptualization of well-being. It draws on an integrative framework by examining literature from contemporary well-being models and also from the fields of health psychology and Ayurveda. An individual’s worldview, shaped by personal, spiritual, and cultural factors, creates their identity and hence, defines their perception of well-being. Findings from the literature reveal how the definition of well-being varies when the lens with which the ‘being’ is seen changes and, by this means, has a huge impact on how well-being is operationalized and measured. The study highlights the dynamic interaction between subjective experience and broader metaphysical beliefs, forming the foundation of well-being. Through a comprehensive review of the literature and a conceptual framework for an integral well-being model, this paper aims to offer new insights into the theoretical underpinnings of well-being, suggesting that the worldview of 'being' plays a pivotal role in both personal and collective well-being. The findings contribute to developing a more holistic and individualized approach to well-being research, emphasizing the importance of worldview in shaping health outcomes and quality of life.

ABSTRACT. More than 2 million smallholder farmers in South Africa face food insecurity, impacting their well-being. While governmental welfare payments (WPs) aim to alleviate poverty, their spillover effects in enhancing food security and achieving zero hunger (SDG 2) among smallholder farmers are uncertain. Previous studies investigated how a single agricultural subsidy influenced the relationship between farmers' subjective well-being and productivity. This study examines the impact of two types of payments: agriculture-specific land grants and unconditional social welfare payments (SWPs). We analyse whether these payments contribute to food security, reduce hunger, and improve well-being. Furthermore, we explore how food insecurity, proxied by crop failure, ties in with these payments necessary to enhance life satisfaction (LS). Using South Africa as a case study, we utilised the NIDS and Weather Service datasets in moderation and mediation analyses. Our findings reveal that SWPs directly decrease LS, while land grants increase LS. However, when accounting for crop failure, neither payment type significantly impacts LS. This suggests no spillover effect from these WPs in addressing crop failures or enhancing food security. We recommend targeted welfare support focused on minimising agricultural losses, increasing food security and production, reducing hunger, and ultimately increasing smallholder farmers' well-being.

ABSTRACT. Current social housing policy in Taiwan aims to provide affordable apartments for the less-privileged population and eliminate social exclusion in such community. A family is qualified for application if its yearly income is under 50% of average level and each member earns less than 3.5 times of average expense level. At least 40% of social housing units are prioritized for people under poverty line, raising three or more children, with disability, or/and in other needs. They may encounter diverse difficulties in adapting to new environment. Therefore, Taichung City Government initiates a pioneer project of Social Services Center (SSC) in each social housing site and recruited a non-government-organization to provide supportive services for individuals in need and provide community activities for social inclusiveness. Would it make a difference to the residents? Any difference between the less privileged and general tenants? We collected data including staff interview (N=11) and tenant on-line survey (N=486). It was found that people have more interaction with SSC report better quality of life (p<.00), higher sense of belonging (p<.00), and responsibility to the community (p<.00). The less-privileged tenants are more likely to know (p<.05) and interact with SSC (p<.05), compared to normal ones. Moreover, no statistically significant difference of SSC goal evaluation between the two groups is affirmed. Tenants of social housing appreciate SSCs create opportunities for them to participate in community, engage with other tenants, obtain assistance in place, and enhance access to social and medical resources. We suggest central and local governments equip on-site supportive service projects like SSC in social housing apartments spatially and financially. Social inclusiveness requires community interventions to connect vulnerable and average people, create network of resources, and cultivate a culture of common good.

ABSTRACT. This paper exploits a health insurance reform in China unifying the coverage and reimbursement criteria between rural and urban population, and evaluates the causal consequences on the elderly’s health-related quality of life – (a) physical health as difficulties in activities of daily living (ADLs), (b) mental health measured by life satisfaction and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D 10) index, and (c) cognitive function including episodic memory and mental intactness. We hand-coded policies across 210 cities since the reform in 2009. We applied a staggered difference-in-difference specification to estimate two nationally representative panel datasets including respectively 42 355 individuals aged above 45 over the period 2011-2020 and 17 708 individuals aged above 65 with biomarkers over the period 1998-2018. The universal health insurance does not affect people aged 45-55, but improves the ADLs by 0.36 standard deviations for people aged 55-75 and increasingly by 1.2 standard deviations for those aged above 75. They are driven by both men and women’s reduced difficulties in wearing clothes and getting up independently. In mental health, the elderly feel more satisfied about life, bother less in daily lives especially women, and sleep better. In cognitive functions, the immediate episodic memory improves by 0.22 standard deviations, especially women (0.256), while the delayed episodic memory and mental intactness remain similar. Across family income strata, the upper half improve physical and mental health, while the bottom half improve cognitive functioning. The reform did not change the likelihoods of drinking, smoking or doing exercises, mitigating the bias due to moral hazards. Healthcare utilization transmits the treatment effects at internal margins only. The number of in-patient treatments among those who sought in-patient treatment over last year increased significantly by 1.72, while the likelihood of seeking medical care remains stable.

ABSTRACT. We now have a Happiness Revolution to go along with the earlier Industrial and Demographic Revolutions. The Happiness Revolution is captured using people’s happiness scores, as reported in public surveys, whereas the earlier revolutions are reflected by economic production (e.g., GDP) and life expectancy. Increases in happiness are chiefly due to social-science welfare policies that alleviate people’s foremost concerns – those centering on family life, health, and jobs.

This short book traces the course of the Happiness Revolution throughout Europe since the 1980s when comprehensive and comparable data on people’s happiness first become available. Which countries lead and which lag? How is happiness distributed throughout the population – are the rich happier than the poor, men than women, old than young, native than foreign born, city than countryfolk? How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted happiness? These are among the questions addressed in this study.

ABSTRACT. The Tin Ka Ping P.A.T.H.S. Project (TKPPP) is a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of life, well-being, and happiness of adolescents in mainland China. For more than a decade, TKPPP has implemented structured programs using positive youth development (PYD) constructs such as resilience, psychosocial competence, positive identity, and prosocial norms, benefitting more than one million students via online and face-to-face programs. To understand the impact of the program, we have utilized both quantitative and qualitative evaluation strategies.

To assess the program’s effectiveness, we utilized the qualitative approach of collecting student diaries. The research team gathered approximately 3,061 diaries before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 86.51% classified as highly positive. Moreover, 2,337 diaries were collected during the pandemic, and over 98.2% were rated as positive, reflecting the program’s resilience and adaptability in challenging times. Utilizing qualitative data from student diaries, we captured the lived experiences and perceptions of participants, providing a rich narrative of their growth and transformation. The diaries reveal significant benefits across twelve key areas, including the development of prosocial behaviors, improved school adjustment and academic performance, enhanced family and interpersonal relationships, and the cultivation of intrinsic competencies such as resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy. The value of using diaries as a research tool is particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they offer unique insights into the challenges faced by adolescents and the adaptive strategies they employ. By integrating and synchronizing data from COVID and non-COVID periods, we illustrate how the TKPPP has effectively supported students’ psychosocial well-being during these unprecedented times, fostering resilience and a sense of community. To document the effectiveness of the program, we have recently prepared two new Chinese books based on the students’ diaries. In this presentation, the major findings in the cases included in these two books will be presented.

ABSTRACT. Service learning (SL) is a widely recognized experiential learning pedagogy in higher education that combines academic learning and community service. It aims to provide university students with opportunities to enhance their understanding of academic knowledge while addressing community needs through service activities. Thus, a unique characteristic of SL is mutual benefits for both university students as service providers and community members as service recipients. While rich evidence has documented the expected positive impacts of SL experience on university students, relatively fewer studies have investigated the influence of SL on service recipients. The present study attempted to address this research gap by examining changes in disadvantaged primary school students (e.g., migrant children or children from single-parent families) in mainland China as service recipients after they received SL services provided by 108 undergraduate students from a public university in Hong Kong. Using a single-group pretest and posttest design, we collected data from primary school students (i.e., service recipients) one month before and upon completing the SL services in multiple outcome measures, including academic development, generic positive attributes, well-being, and mental health issues. Based on a matched sample of 426 primary school students (46.01% girls, mean age = 9.56 ± 0.74 years), Generalized Linear Model Repeated Measures tests revealed significant improvements in their academic development (study interest, knowledge acquisition, academic self-efficacy), genetic positive attributes (e.g., cognitive and behavioral competence, self-identity, and social and emotional competence), well-being (life satisfaction and meaning in life) as well significant decreases in mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. In addition, boys and girls showed identical favorable changes. These findings support the effectiveness of SL services in promoting positive development and healthy functioning among primary school students. This study implies that SL is a promising way to enhance the holistic development of disadvantaged children and adolescents.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, adolescent mental health has become an increasingly prominent issue, with rural adolescents facing particularly severe challenges. Recognizing this as an urgent problem, the Chinese government and society have attached great importance to addressing it. This study conducted a one-year non-randomized controlled trial (NRCT) to examine the impact of Positive Youth Development (PYD) project on the positive development of rural adolescents. A total of 646 rural adolescents participated, with 343 (48.81% girls; Mean Age = 11.89 years) in the experimental group and 303 (51.44% girls; Mean Age = 11.86 years) in the control group. The experimental group received 24 PYD project courses over a year, conducted once every one to two weeks, each lasting 45 minutes, totaling 1,080 minutes. This study utilized the "Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale" as the primary measurement tool. Both the experimental and control groups completed questionnaire surveys before and after the project. By comparing the results of participants in both groups before and after project, this study objectively assesses the effectiveness of the project intervention. Additionally, subjective evaluations were collected from recipients (rural adolescents). The results demonstrated that participants who received PYD project exhibited significant positive changes compared to those in the control group. The overall PYD attributes and its four higher order factors (Cognitive-Behavioral Competence, Prosocial Attributes, Positive Identity, and General PYD Qualities) have been significantly improved. Qualitative evaluations further revealed positive feedback from both service providers and recipients, underscoring the perceived benefits of the course. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of PYD project in promoting the positive development of rural adolescents in China.

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parent-child relationship and digital sexual violence. Based on gender role social discourse theory, moral disengagement theory and network anonymity theory, a chain mediation model is proposed, that is, how adolescents' gender concepts and digital sexual violence victimization experience mediate the relationship between parent-child relationship and digital sexual violence victimization behavior. The results showed that: (1) There was a significant negative correlation between parent-child relationship and digital sexual violence; (2) The independent mediating role of adolescents' gender perceptions and experiences of digital sexual violence has been verified; (3) Positive parent-child relationship can reduce the harm of teenagers to digital sexual violence by establishing equal gender concepts for teenagers, thus reducing the possibility of teenagers to commit digital sexual violence. This chain mediation effect has also been verified. This study helps to prove the protective effect of parent-child relationship on adolescents, and explains the internal mechanism of the influence of parent-child relationship on adolescents' digital sexual violence perpetration.

ABSTRACT. We present the hopes and fears expressed by South Africans in the nationally representative South African Social Attitudes Surveys (SASAS) of 2012 and 2022. The two SASAS surveys replicated Hadley Cantril’s original study of The Patterns of Human Concerns conducted in the 1960s, a period of significant worldwide change. South African survey respondents voiced their hopes and fears for self and nation in their own words as in Cantril’s study. Their concerns were recorded using the original thematic categories developed by Cantril. Respondents gave ratings on the Cantril ladder of life, both for self and nation, five years’ past, in the present, and five years into the future. We present South African citizens’ key concerns in 2012 and 2022 and identify the ‘Winners’ and ‘Losers’ in society, indicated by either an above-average increase or decrease in respondents’ Cantril ladder ratings for self and nation from past to present and present to future. We discuss how personal and national concerns may have shaped the Cantril ratings of South African ‘Winners’ and ‘Losers under democracy.

ABSTRACT. Studies have attempted to measure the happiness as an outcome of a material state, a subjective psychological state of individuals or a combination of both (Bellout et. al, 2023; Musikanski et al 2017). The social, economic, political or psychological factors shaping the individual or collective happiness remain very much spatially embedded and several studies have attempted to understand this relation between happiness and space. Whereas Vaz (2023) attempts to understand the geographies of happiness and space, Bellout et. al, (2023), Ott (2012), and Berry and Okulicz-Kozaryn (2011) implicate the rural and urban context shaping the degree of happiness. Dijkstra (2019) shows that happiness gradient declines from urban, semi-urban to rural areas. However, there has been perceptible gap in research on how the happiness relates to city-size in different regional contexts. The present paper attempts to examine the relationship between happiness and the size of the cities in the Global South. We hypothesize that mega cities because of their population density, pollutions, and more individualization and/or crime, etc, may have lower happiness than the medium sized cities, as these cities are of more manageable scale with lower pollution, better informal social networks and lower crimes. However, this pattern may be again reverse in smaller cities where lack of amenities and economic opportunities create a condition of more unhappiness. As such we expect an inverted U-shaped curve between size of cities in the Global South. To test this hypothesis, the paper uses the data available from Gallup World Poll.

ABSTRACT. The main aim of this study is to explain the differences in regional economic development and wellbeing in Africa that have been reported in the recent literature (see Clark et al 2024). The paper employs the Culture Based Development (CBD) paradigm to study the role of local cultural capital for the cross-country differences in wellbeing in Africa. Wittenberg was a city in Germany that held a pivotal place in European history due to its central role in the Protestant Reformation. It has been well documented that distance to Wittenberg had an impact beyond religion, fostering a spirit of inquiry and reform that shaped the development of Europe in profound ways (see Becker & Woessmann, 2009). Timbuktu is an ancient city in Mali, renowned for its historical significance as a centre of Islamic scholarship and its unique collection of manuscripts. Following what we know about the impact from Wittenberg, this study hypothesises that the distance to Timbuktu may have significant explanatory power for the local differences in development across Africa. In addition, the CBD paradigm has highlighted that culture is a complex dynamic entity that has not only a sticky cultural heritage component, but also a strong living culture adaptive component that transforms importantly the impact of cultural heritage on the trajectory of development of people and places. Hence, the current study includes in its analysis the transformative impact of modern cultural diversity that may modify the impact from the Islamic cultural heritage of Timbuktu. The results of the study shed light on the power of local culture to drive and reshape the socio-economic welfare and wellbeing of places. The parallels with similar CBD applications for other geographies such as Europe, USA and China are discussed through a Neo-Weberian lens.

ABSTRACT. Over the past two decades, research into the wellbeing of young people has become a growing priority around the world as their potential to contribute to their nations’ flourishing has been recognised alongside their vulnerabilities. This is particularly urgent in low-and-middle-income countries in the Global South as: 1) the majority (over 90%) of the world’s young people live in the Global South and 2) in comparison to their Northern counterparts, they invariably experience adversity in ways that are deeper, more pervasive, and with fewer structural and institutional buffers and protections.

However, current research focused on young people in the Global South often stops at describing their adversity, rather than making the effort to identify the strategies necessary to overcome their challenges. On the other hand, approaches to wellbeing tend to have been predicated on a well-functioning, orderly, and regulated society, with strong social capital, broad participation and notions of individual embeddedness of happiness; often derived from contexts and countries in the North. This frequently ignores the fact that the South has collective and cultural resources that could impact on wellbeing. Thus, while attempts to positively impact the wellbeing of young people must be informed by adverse realities, there are ways in which learning from them with new lenses will expand our ability – as researchers and practitioners concerned with young people’s opportunities to thrive – to do so more appropriately.

Through a purposive review of literature this paper engages with the value of an emerging perspective on wellbeing, namely relational wellbeing, for youth research in the Global South. As an approach that is yet to be grounded in extensive empirical research, the review to engages with the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of the approach, and with gaps in research in key areas of impact for the wellbeing of young people.

ABSTRACT. This study explores work orientations as a key factor influencing quit intentions, job search, and workplace effort, integrating this concept into labor economics. Work orientations, the long-term beliefs about the role of work in one’s life, include viewing work as a paycheck, a career step, or a calling. Drawing on original Dutch data, the study reveals that those who see their work as a calling exert more effort, have lower quit intentions, and are less likely to be job searching compared to job-oriented workers. Conversely, career-oriented individuals are more likely to consider leaving their jobs, actively search for new opportunities, and show diminished work effort, regardless of promotion expectations. Work orientations account for 40% of the variation in quit intentions and job search behaviors, surpassing the explanatory power of job satisfaction and work meaningfulness, suggesting they are crucial for understanding employee behavior.

ABSTRACT. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat events. Understanding the impact of heat exposure is crucial due to its wide-ranging economic and social consequences, including increased energy demand, healthcare costs, reduced labor productivity, and exacerbation of social inequities in urban areas. In this context, the project's objective is to investigate the impact of heat exposure on subjective well-being and health of urban residents. The empirical analyses cover the time period 2008 to 2021. We match daily weather data sourced from the German Weather Service (DWD) with individual-level survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). By utilizing the location and the interview date of the respondents, we can assign heat exposure at a small regional level. As a first step, we examine the association with absolute versus relative temperature increase, sustained heat versus fluctuating temperatures, and heat in combination with other conditions (e.g. humidity, air pollution). In a later stage, we aim to evaluate measures to mitigate the effects of heat exposure, such as green spaces or air conditioning.

ABSTRACT. Having meaningful work is important for many people. What is the economists’ view on meaningful work? To answer this question, we have conducted a scoping review on the economics of meaningful work, offering a coherent overview of the economic discourse on meaningful work. We identified 43 relevant English-language articles in top-quartile economics journals through a systematic search in EconLit and citation tracking. Drawing on these studies, we discuss how meaningful work is conceptualized and perceived in the economics literature, the extent to which people have meaningful work, its core antecedents and consequences, and the conclusions, implications, and recommendations that can be drawn from the economics literature on meaningful work.

ABSTRACT. Understanding the link between well-being and income is crucial for assessing the viability of sustainability strategies that limit affluence. This presentation examines the extent to which the satisfaction of basic human needs can explain the correlation between income and life evaluation, an indicator of subjective well-being. Using more than 1.3 million responses from the Gallup World Poll, we estimate the effect of absolute and relative income , GDP per capita, and GDP growth on life evaluation, while controlling for individual and country-level need satisfaction, and governance quality.

We find that a hypothetical country achieving population-wide need satisfaction would, even at a GDP per capita of $10,000, match today’s happiest countries in terms of life evaluation. Beyond this income level, the remaining effects of absolute income are marginal. Individuals at the top of their country’s income distribution position themselves 0.7 steps higher on the Life Ladder than individuals at the lowest income percentile even when controlling for need satisfaction.

Our results suggest that basic human needs satisfaction plays a central role in decoupling subjective well-being from economic growth. Considering the strong link between economic activity and environmental pressures, our findings raise optimism about the feasibility of high well-being for all within ecological limits.

ABSTRACT. What is ‘Hope’, why does it matter in quality-of-life and wellbeing studies, and how can it be leveraged to enhance the pursuit of the sustainability development goals? Hope is a state of being, fostered and enacted through a sense of mastery (agency and self-determination), attachment and trust (belonging), and need for survival and autonomy (purpose and life satisfaction). As such, it can be used as a decisive element to “bring about social change in the direction of greater aliveness, awareness, and reason” (Erich Fromm: The Revolution of Hope, 1968). Research in the field of hope studies has shown that Personal Hope improves agency and self-motivation, Relational Hope is about fostering a sense of connectedness and a shared responsibility of care; while Social Hope brings about active citizenship and a collective drive towards social change. Therefore, promoting hope at the individual, relational and social levels can be seen as a necessary pre-condition and foundation for driving meaningful and sustainable progress towards wellbeing initiatives for all. Hope is also integral to the sustainability agenda, as it fuels the belief that positive change is possible, motivating action toward environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Hope fosters collective action, innovation, and resilience, empowering communities and individuals to face global challenges with a mindset focused on solutions rather than despair. By cultivating hope, we can strengthen the drive for the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring a better future for generations to come. The aim of this presentation is two-fold: To offer a review of key learnings and developments in the burgeoning field of Hope Studies from a multidisciplinary perspective; and through the presentation of practical case studies, underscore the importance of cultivating hope during current times of economic and socio-political uncertainty and conflict.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB), civic engagement (C-ENG), and sustainability consciousness (SC), a multidimensional construct encompassing environmental, social, and economic knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on a sample of 1,040 Italian adolescents (aged 12–25), the findings reveal that both SWB and C-ENG significantly contribute to SC. Notably, a sense of community belonging and proximity to environmental movements such as Fridays for Future emerge as key factors driving sustainability awareness and commitment. The results suggest that psychosocial well-being and civic participation play complementary roles in shaping sustainability-oriented mindsets. SWB positively influences SC (β = 0.123, p < 0.001), while civic engagement exerts an even stronger impact, particularly through perceived proximity to environmental activism (β = 1.55 for Fridays for Future, β = 1.0 for Extinction Rebellion). SC and pro-environmental behaviours increase with age, with a particularly significant effect among women. Furthermore, a strong sense of community is the most relevant SWB predictor of SC, emphasizing the role of social capital in fostering SC. These findings highlight the importance of integrating well-being and civic participation into sustainability policies and education. Strengthening community engagement and collective identity may enhance sustainability consciousness, supporting an ecosystemic policy approach where well-being and sustainability reinforce each other. The observed gender differences suggest the need for targeted educational programs to promote sustainability engagement across diverse social groups. By bridging subjective well-being, civic engagement, and sustainability consciousness, this study contributes to sustainability psychology, civil economy, and policy design. Future research should investigate longitudinal trends and the role of education, media narratives, and digital activism in shaping sustainability consciousness across different populations.

ABSTRACT. In migration studies, two key research strands have evolved: one analyzing the relationship between spatial and social mobility, particularly labor market outcomes stratified by social class, and another examining the impact of spatial mobility on life satisfaction. However, the latter has largely overlooked how the life satisfaction benefits of migration vary by social and educational background. This study bridges these gaps by investigating how social origin and educational attainment influence migration’s impact on life satisfaction. Using cumulative inequality theory, we hypothesize that greater parental resources and higher educational attainment enhance migration benefits by facilitating access to opportunities. We operationalize subjective well-being through life satisfaction and employ the estimands framework to assess the effects of social origin and education on migration outcomes. First, we define total and controlled direct effects, considering social origin when education is held constant through hypothetical interventions. Second, we establish the assumptions necessary for identification. Third, we apply stratified fixed-effects panel regressions. Drawing on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), our analysis confirms that migration generally improves long-term life satisfaction. Individuals with greater educational achievements experience more substantial and enduring benefits. A key finding is that significant effects of social origin on migration returns exist only when educational attainment is fixed at medium levels, whereas social origin does not affect migration returns at low or high levels of education. This study contributes to research on cumulative advantage and disadvantage by integrating social stratification, migration, and life satisfaction perspectives. Our findings suggest that while higher-origin and highly educated individuals migrate to enhance their circumstances, lower-origin individuals may migrate primarily to avoid social decline. These insights have practical implications for migration policies and social mobility interventions.

ABSTRACT. Spatial mobility can substantively influence life satisfaction and often occurs coupled with life-course transitions. Research has identified labour market transitions as one driver of spatial mobility and studied influences of labour-related spatial mobility on life satisfaction. Yet, there is still a research gap regarding the effects of spatial mobility on life satisfaction right at the transition into the labour market. Individuals often become mobile to successfully enter the labour market. Simultaneously, spatial mobility can help facilitating young adults’ transition to adulthood. Spatial mobility at the labour market entrance is, therefore, important for the overall wellbeing of individuals in two ways: Firstly, as a means to enter the labour market and start a career, secondly, as a means to fulfil lifestyle goals. Building on earlier studies regarding spatial mobility during vocational and higher education, this study assesses how life satisfaction trajectories at the labour market entrance are influenced by spatial mobility using data from the German SOEP and NEPS panel studies. The presented results illustrate the need to consider spatial mobility and life-course transitions jointly in subjective well-being research.

ABSTRACT. For many, commuting is a regular, time-intensive, and burdensome activity that is often linked to stress, negative emotions and reduced subjective well-being. Previous research shows that higher commuting load and lower commuting satisfaction are associated with burnout and poorer mental health. However, little is known about which specific aspects of commuting (dis-)satisfaction are most closely related to mental health. This study addresses this gap by identifying the facets of the commute most relevant to mental distress. We use nationally representative data from two 2024 waves of the Melbourne Institute-Roy Morgan Taking the Pulse of the Nation (TTPN) survey in Australia, conducted by the University of Melbourne. We employ regression and dominance analysis to examine the associations between satisfaction with seven key aspects of the commute (duration, comfort, crowding, reliability, safety, risk of accidents, and the behaviour of others) and mental distress. Preliminary findings show that higher satisfaction with any single aspect is significantly associated with lower mental distress. However, when all seven aspects are analysed simultaneously in the same regression model, only satisfaction with comfort and reliability remain statistically significant. While comfort refers to the convenience of the commute and the absence of burdens like noise or air pollution, reliability reflects the predictability of travel time, which can be disrupted by delays, traffic jams, or crowded roads. Dissatisfaction with comfort can increase unpleasant emotions and stress, while dissatisfaction with reliability can indicate a perceived loss of control, which is a critical factor in stress and mental well-being. This study advances understanding of the relationship between commuting satisfaction and mental health by identifying the most psychologically burdensome aspects of commuting. Our findings have practical implications for policymakers and urban planners, emphasizing the need for targeted improvements in comfort and reliability to reduce commuters’ mental distress and promote overall subjective well-being.

ABSTRACT. Speare's (1974) residential satisfaction model states that low well-being with the housing situation - also referred to as dissatisfaction or residential stress - will lead to relocation. The move improves the housing situation and thus restores well-being. In this model, the extent of real residential conditions determines the level of well-being with the housing situation. If well-being falls below a threshold value, the intention to move is pursued with the aim of improving the housing situation and thus well-being. The living conditions can be different characteristics of the living environment: in a poorly accessible, peripheral, unsafe, dirty, noisy, poor, anonymous neighbourhood where neither friends nor relatives live, well-being will be low. This model not only explicates a link between housing conditions, well-being and choice of neighbourhood, but also the connection between neighbourhood preferences and spatial mobility. On the one hand, so-called revealed preferences can be determined on the basis of well-being with the given housing situation. On the other hand, neighbourhood preferences can be stated via hypothetical housing situations. By comparing revealed and stated neighbourhood preferences, it is possible to investigate which housing conditions are particularly favoured and to what extent residents can actually realise their neighbourhood preferences. The question is tested using a small data set of residents of a challenged neighbourhood. It turns out that geographical characteristics (location and accessibility) as well as order characteristics (cleanliness, safety) are of very high importance, while social composition is of lesser importance.

ABSTRACT. Productivity growth in developed countries has been slowing, alongside slower growth of investment and output. In the UK, a Productivity Commission has engaged many academics to contribute to understanding why. Similar research programmes exist in other countries. This presentation is based on Fisher (2024), a Commission discussion paper, and will focus on the implications for well-being. The global productivity slowdown has been in train for much longer than most research assumes, following a consistent and inevitable pattern of de-industrialisation. In all developed countries an increasingly large majority of employment is in the services sector, with slower measured productivity growth than manufacturing. Only a sudden spurt of growth caused by new industrial technology – such as that required by the transition to net zero might – temporarily – change that trend. What does this mean for well-being? The presentation will detail the resultant challenges for economic policy - from data collection through to pressures on fiscal outcomes and political objectives that need to be re-cast. It supports the case for measuring well-being outcomes, rather than using income per head as a proxy. Reversing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting investment in people’s health and education are proposed as the key to sustainable growth in a de-industrialised economy and to improving living standards. Yet the climate change mitigation agenda remains opposed by some, and most of the expenditure on health and education is not even counted as investment in current national accounts, which were designed when manufacturing (and resource extraction) was a dominant source of employment and wealth. The world has moved on, but economic policy is too often stuck in the past. Fisher, Paul, (2024) “Productivity and Investment: Time to Manage the Project of Renewal”, National Institute of Economic and Social Research for the Productivity Commission, March. Available at: https://niesr.ac.uk/publications/productivity-and-investment-time-manage-project-renewal?type=uk-productivity-commission .

ABSTRACT. In discussions of "Beyond GDP," it has been pointed out that GDP, as a proxy indicator of economic wealth, does not necessarily lead to an increase in subjective well-being. Therefore, the importance of factors other than GDP is being debated. This study focuses on education and health, which are indicators of human capital that have recently garnered attention, in addition to income, which is a proxy indicator of economic wealth. Using survey data targeting individuals, the study measures the differences in subjective well-being between individuals, given their levels of income, education, and health. Previous research has revealed differences in "happiness sensitivity" across countries. However, when it comes to the determinants of "happiness efficiency," prior research has only examined differences by age, gender, economic situation, and social capital. Considering the discussion around planetary boundaries, a concept of environmental limits on Earth, Japan's current consumption levels are unsustainable. Therefore, the issue of "how to increase happiness within limited resources" becomes crucial. This study not only measures individuals' "happiness efficiency" but also aims to identify factors that enhance it, in order to explore ways to achieve both sustainable development and an increase in subjective well-being. The determinants of "happiness efficiency" that this study examines include the factors listed in the "OECD Better Life Index" as well as "non-materialistic perspectives.". The analysis revealed that improvements in work styles, a non-materialistic mindset and the presence of natural capital significantly increase "happiness efficiency."

ABSTRACT. A growing body of research underscores the necessity of supplementing traditional economic indicators like GDP with quality of life metrics to ensure a more comprehensive basis for appraisal of policy and social progress. Many countries are developing frameworks designed to measure what matters to citizens, and seek to integrate this data into the policy guidance provided by public agencies. A central issue facing these public agencies concerns the form of guidance they should seek to provide, and in particular, whether they should aggregate QoL data so as to provide unidimensional forms of expert appraisal. Some forms of unidimensional appraisal, including cost-benefit analysis and summary statistics makes it easier for stakeholders and decision makers to see how things are going and what the overall consequences of a policy would be. However, aggregation of outcomes into such ‘all-things-considered’ forms of appraisal raises concerns about theoretical validity and political legitimacy. The object of this article is to review and compare the central concerns within the context of a liberal democracy. I offer an interpretation of each concern, and present a framework for evaluating how and when it is appropriate for public agencies to offer policy guidance that incorporates unidimensional forms of expert appraisal. 

ABSTRACT. In this paper we introduce a measure of well-being efficiency to examine society`s ability to transform its resources into subjective well-being. Our aim is to shift the attention from levels of well-being to countries’ ability to transform their resources into subjective well-being. We use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric method, which uses observed input and output data to measure the relative efficiency of the compared units. Our dataset consists of a balanced panel of 121 countries observed from 2006 to 2023. The output variable is the Life Ladder, which is an evaluation of life based on individuals’ answers about their current lives using a scale (ladder) from 0 to 10 and as input variables we use per capita Gross Domestic product, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom of choice, absence of corruption and generosity - all aggregated at country level. Initial results indicate that countries with a high well-being efficiency are not only those that have a high subjective well-being score (Denmark, Canada, Finland), but also countries such as Costa Rica, Greece and Mexico. At the bottom of the rank, we find mostly African countries (Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Tanzania) or countries that have suffered war or humanitarian crisis (Afghanistan, Yemen). We also provide evidence that well-being efficiency has increased on average indicating that people have managed to achieve greater levels of well-being. Although, some countries have improved their well-being efficiency even by 20% or more through the years, some of them still lag behind (Benin, Morocco, Singapore, Nicaragua) and could be happier given the resources they have, while others have become fully efficient (Belarus, Uruguay). Finally, financial crisis of 2008 and the Covid-19 pandemic both diminished the well-being efficiency for the majority of countries and in some cases the effect lasted for more than two years (Portugal, Ireland).

ABSTRACT. Background: Psychological safety is found to be strongly associated with personal well-being and satisfaction in teams (Frazier et al., 2017). However, there is a lack of research on possible mechanisms that may explain how psychological safety is related to well-being. In this study, I explore whether dialogical forms of communication among team members may be one mechanism explaining this relationship. Dialogue is characterized by team members openly expressing their views, curiously exploring views that are different from their own, and trying to integrate the different perspectives emerging from the dialogue. Openly sharing your opinions and being willing to elaborate on others’ opinions in a management team, involve interpersonal risk taking. Hence, I hypothesize that a climate of psychological safety will be positively associated with dialogue, and that the increased level of dialogue can explain at least a part of the relationship between psychological safety and personal well-being in management teams. Objective: To examine to what extent there is an indirect effect of psychological safety on personal well-being in management teams through dialogical communication. Methods: Survey data on the level of psychological safety, dialogue and personal well-being were collected from 160 management teams (N = 1150 team members) from different branches and organizational levels. The data was analyzed using PROCESS v4.2 (Hayes, 2024). Results: A bootstrap analysis of the data showed a significant indirect effect of psychological safety on personal well-being in management teams (B = .37, 95% CI [.24, .50]), by team members engaging more in dialogue when they experienced the team as safe for interpersonal risk-taking. The direct effect of psychological safety on personal well-being was B = .34 (p ≤ .001) Conclusion: Dialogue can serve as one mechanism partly explaining the relationship between psychological safety and personal well-being in management teams.

ABSTRACT. When there is more than one employee in a group, conflict is to be expected. If not managed effectively, these conflicts can jeopardize employees' well-being and performance. There are three types of intragroup conflict: task, relationship, and process. Of these, process conflict was the most detrimental, yet it was often disregarded. When left unresolved, process conflict can significantly hinder employees' organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Drawing upon the contingency approach, we postulated that appropriate conflict-handling strategies and psychological capital could weaken the negative effect of process conflict on OCB at both individual and group levels. 467 civil employees from 47 groups took part in this study via a self-administered questionnaire. Multilevel hierarchical linear modelling was used to analyse the data. The study yielded inconsistent findings, revealing that psychological capital could weaken the negative effect of process conflict at individual-level OCB but not at group-level OCB. Besides that, the study found that none of the conflict-handling strategies were able to weaken the detrimental effect of process conflict on individual-level OCB, which contrasted with the findings at group-level OCB. The supervisor’s forcing handling strategy significantly weakens the negative effect of process conflict at group-level OCB, while the supervisor’s avoiding handling strategy significantly strengthens the negative impact. Handling conflict in the workplace is an art; mishandling it will jeopardise employee well-being and performance. Industrial and organisational psychologists and HR managers may benefit from the findings to manage process conflict.

ABSTRACT. This study explores non-reproductive choices (childfree) through a gendered lens, focusing on the social and professional challenges faced by individuals who opt out of parenthood (Gillespie, 2000; Houseknecht, 1987; Moore, 2014; Park, 2002; Veevers, 1980). Using thematic analysis of discussions on the r/childfree subreddit, an online community with over 1.5 million members, the research highlights workplace and cultural obstacles encountered by childfree individuals, particularly women (Serri et al., 2019). Against the backdrop of declining birth rates and entrenched cultural stereotypes equating motherhood with women’s social value, the study examines gender, workplace discrimination, societal expectations, and well-being. Childfree individuals frequently report stigma and professional burdens in workplaces structured around the traditional worker-parent model. Three key issues emerge: excessive work expectations, unequal access to benefits, and organizational norms stigmatizing non-parental choices (Correll et al., 2007). Childfree women experience a “double penalty,” defying cultural norms while facing heightened professional expectations (Acker, 2006). These findings underscore gender norms prioritizing caregiving roles as markers of professional and social worth. The resulting stress and alienation impact well-being, leading to burnout and decreased job satisfaction (Hochschild & Machung, 1989).

The r/childfree subreddit offers a valuable space for digital ethnographic research (Sumiala & Tikka, 2020), enabling open discussions on workplace discrimination, social stigma, and well-being. Thematic coding of 1,448 user comments highlights patterns of marginalization, reinforcing the need for workplace reforms (Saldaña, 2021). Findings show that childfree individuals face undue work expectations, reducing life satisfaction (Budig & England, 2001). Organizations must adopt inclusive policies to foster equity and well-being.

ABSTRACT. Leadership style has been found to be an important determinant of employee wellbeing, with styles that are empathic, transformational and democratic being among the most beneficial (Khajeh, 2018; Bakker et al., 2023). Moreover, employee wellbeing is aided by congruence in values, performance rating and behaviour between employees, leadership and the organisation (Cheung, 2009). However, less is known about the importance of congruence in the rating of leadership style according to employees and managers. Using two-wave data from approximately 1,700 employees and their 120 managers from the education sector, we investigate the relationship between employee/manager rating congruence of empathic leadership and employee wellbeing. We find that congruent ratings have a positive relation to wellbeing, independent from the positive relation between empathic leadership and wellbeing. So, when leaders rate their own leadership as more empathetic than their employees, this seems to have a negative relation to employee wellbeing, regardless of whether the employees rate the leader as empathetic or not. We hypothesize that leadership self-reflection and leadership-employee communication are responsible for this relation and suggest some interventions for improvement (Nesbit, 2012).

Al Khajeh, E. H. (2018). Impact of leadership styles on organizational performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2018(2018), 1-10. Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., Olsen, O. K., & Espevik, R. (2023). Daily transformational leadership: A source of inspiration for follower performance? European Management Journal, 41(5), 700-708. Cheung, G. W. (2009). Introducing the latent congruence model for improving the assessment of similarity, agreement, and fit in organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 12(1), 6-33. Nesbit, P. L. (2012). The role of self-reflection, emotional management of feedback, and self-regulation processes in self-directed leadership development. Human Resource Development Review, 11(2), 203-226.

ABSTRACT. Wellbeing in midlife is complex and while most evidence suggests that it can be a difficult phase, this evidence is based on average effects only and furthermore life little is known about why. Using finite mixed methods analysis and two large panel datasets, we put people into groups based upon their wellbeing in midlife: one group are a crisis group, one group have a more moderate low, and one (smaller) group appear to not have a dip in midlife at all. These different general trajectories of wellbeing through the midlife years are discussed, uncovering information about which groups of people suffer in midlife (when they do), how much they suffer and why.

ABSTRACT. A longstanding academic debate centers on whether subjective well-being (SWB) follows a U-shaped trajectory over the lifespan. This study investigates the impact of various life events on the SWB pattern, contributing to this debate by linking age-related SWB with the theory of hedonic adaptation. Utilizing 1.6 million observations from harmonized data across six large panel datasets spanning 1985 to 2019, we demonstrate that a pronounced U-shape in SWB is observed primarily in individuals who have experienced recent life events. Age-specific event studies corroborate this finding, indicating that life events significantly diminish SWB during mid-age. Our analysis underscores the critical role of life events in the initial decline in SWB, whereas recovery in old age appears more universal and less dependent on life events.

ABSTRACT. The relation between age and happiness has been widely studied, yet cross-national variations persist in whether younger or older individuals report higher well-being. Some countries exhibit a U-shaped age-happiness curve, while others display inverted-U patterns or consistently negative trends.

This study utilizes the Survey Data Recycling (SDR) framework— a harmonized dataset of over 1.24 million responses from 57 nations spanning 1975 to 2017— to examine the societal factors influencing generational happiness patterns. Findings reveal that the happiness gap between generations is shaped by both micro- and macro-level contextual factors.

By offering a cross-national perspective over multiple decades, this research deepens our understanding of generational well-being shifts. The results may inform policy interventions addressing declining youth well-being, emphasizing the need for age-specific, context-sensitive strategies. A sustainable approach to enhancing subjective well-being should consider socioeconomic conditions and generational expectations. These insights contribute to broader discussions on sustainable well-being and societal progress.

ABSTRACT. The vast literature on the relationship between subjective well-being and age has shown that life satisfaction in cross-sectional data is U-shaped through the life cycle, reaching the lowest point in midlife and increasing afterward, hence calling it a midlife crisis. However, the reasons for this U-shaped relationship between life satisfaction and age have been unclear and rarely examined. One of the conjectures proposed by Blanchflower and Oswald (2008) is that life satisfaction increases after midlife because people value their lives more after their friends die after midlife. This paper empirically explores this conjecture using panel data from the 2008-2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). It first examines how subjective survival probability to age 75 affects life satisfaction among respondents between 50 and 65. Individual fixed-effects regression results show that respondents with higher probabilities of living to age 75 report higher levels of life satisfaction. However, these results could be biased if subjective survival probabilities and life satisfaction reflect time-varying changes, such as health shocks. When instrumental variable estimation is used to correct for endogeneity, subjective survival probability to age 75 has no significant effect on life satisfaction. So, longer life expectancy does not affect one’s life satisfaction. Using the detailed longitudinal mortality information from the HRS, the second test will examine how the deaths of parents and spouses affect respondents' life satisfaction.

ABSTRACT. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented psychological pressures globally. While traditional stress measurement instruments predominantly focus on emotional responses, they overlook contextual perception. Although the Out-of-Control Scale provides insights into contextual stress perception, empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of different coping strategies remains inconsistent and culturally fragmented. To address this gap, this study adopts a novel cultural perspective comparing Hong Kong SAR and Mainland of China, introducing Monumentalism Coping (emphasizing tradition and stability) and Flexibility Coping (focusing on adaptability and innovation) to explain differential coping effectiveness in stress contexts. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from both regions during 2021 (N = 456 from Hong Kong SAR; N = 523 from Mainland of China). The assessment of Monumentalism Coping focused on pandemic-induced changes in social support patterns, while Flexibility Coping was evaluated through measures of pandemic preparedness perception and eHealth literacy. Using mean-split categorization, participants were categorized into four groups based on high/low levels of both coping styles, analyzed through ANOVA and moderation analyses. Results: Analysis revealed distinct regional patterns, with Hong Kong SAR showing lower monumentalism coping (11.40% vs. 21.03%) but higher flexibility coping (47.37% vs. 42.83%). The Low Monumentalism & Low Flexibility group constituted the largest proportion in both regions. The High Monumentalism & High Flexibility group in Hong Kong SAR demonstrated significantly lower out-of-control scores (p < .001, η² = .05), while flexibility coping consistently predicted lower out-of-control feelings (B = -0.59, p = .019). Region significantly moderated the relationship between flexibility coping and out-of-control feelings within the High Monumentalism group (B = 0.85, p = .004). Discussion: These findings reveal cultural nuances in stress coping effectiveness, providing evidence for culturally-informed interventions during health crises. Future research should explore the dynamic interplay between monumentalism and flexibility coping mechanisms across diverse cultural contexts, advancing stress management strategies.

ABSTRACT. This abstract discusses the significance of promotion and prevention in mental health as outlined in the WHO's 2013-2030 mental health action plan, which emphasizes enhancing well-being and achieving equity in quality of life. Mental health is pertinent to all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3, which seeks to promote healthy lives and ensure mental health and well-being for individuals of all ages by 2030. This study explores the cross-cultural factors influencing the mental health of elderly individuals within the Muslim community, emphasizing the need to understand how cultural elements affect mental health outcomes as global migration and diversity increase. Key cross-cultural factors identified include culturally appropriate health care services, spiritual engagement, resilience and adaptation, intergenerational relationships, all of which might enhance the mental health of Muslim elders. The study employs an ethnographic design, gathering data from 30 Muslim elderly participants through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, which were thematically analyzed using Atlasti version 2.1. , designed for qualitative data. Findings reveal that a strong sense of purpose, family ties, social networks, and community support provide essential emotional support, while religious practices and spiritual engagement foster resilience and purpose. Moreover, the study highlights the necessity of culturally competent healthcare services to meet the unique mental health needs of this population. Ultimately, the research advocates for the integration of cultural considerations into mental health interventions and policies, aiming to improve mental health outcomes for elderly Muslims. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the interplay between culture and mental health, emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in geriatric care.

ABSTRACT. Mental health issues among young adults including working professionals or individuals enrolled in higher education are a pressing global concern. Since well-being has long-term implications linked to academic and future professional growth, it is crucial to help them with the tools and resources to manage stress and elevate their well-being. We build on the promise that yoga entails. While the salutary effects of yoga have been noted extensively, the specific mechanisms through which it promotes well-being—particularly in young adults—are still not well-understood. Consequently, based on a theoretical model, we report on the efficacy and the underlying mechanism of a holistic 10-day focused Yoga-Based Workshop (YBW) for promoting well-being. To do so, in our sample of young individuals, the study used a randomized wait-list controlled design with two groups: yoga workshop group and a wait-list control group. The intervention was delivered over ten days, with daily 1-hour and 15-minute sessions that included elements of yogic philosophy, postures, breath-regulation, meditation, and self-reflection. These components were chosen to provide a comprehensive approach that fosters both physical and mental balance, aligning with the holistic principles of yoga. Participants’ levels of well-being, self-connection, and sense of agency were measured both before and after the intervention. Results from the repeated measures analysis of variance and mediation analysis indicated that YBW improved the levels of well-being of the participants by enhancing their self-connection and sense of agency. Specifically, the mediation analysis showed that these factors may be critical in yoga’s efficacy as a well-being intervention. These findings highlight the value of yoga as a practical intervention for promoting mental well-being and resilience to stress in young adults. By contributing to the understanding of how yoga impacts well-being, this study supports the integration of yoga-based programs into wellness initiatives.

ABSTRACT. The World Happiness Report ranks Tunisia as one of the least happy countries in the world, at 110 out of 138 countries. Exploratory analyses of the microeconomic and social determinants of well-being are absent, except for a few studies focused on workplace well-being and the role of microfinance on quality of life. To date, no field research has been conducted to analyze the veracity and reliability of this categorization. Moreover, while these various initiatives are human-centered, they do not reflect place-based well-being. The proposed experimental methodology is based on the Tanzaku Aspiration Tree with a new perspective on Tunisian Well-being that fills this informational gap by exploring regional well-being in Tunisia. Rooted in the geography of well-being, its bottom-up methodology relies on the faithful collection of people's aspirations, without distinction of age, education, or socioprofessional category. The only distinction made will be based on geolocation, allowing for a place-based approach to well-being through the identification of postal codes. Aspirations will be collected with an online survey launched through social networks to reach the widest possible audience. Data geographical analysis processing will allow us to identify priorities in terms of locally anchored public policies and their feasibility to meet the needs of citizens.

ABSTRACT. Economic scarcity challenges the ways in which traditional services are produced. Face-to-face services are expensive and do not allow for equal access to services, for example from a regional perspective. People who live close to services get services more easily than those who live far away. As a result, new ways of producing services have been sought out for digital ways of producing services. During the past decade, in Finland we have developed a validated 3X10D meter that maps the situation of life and the digital Zekki service that utilises it. The Zekki service has also been built into a commercial ZekkiPro system to support the effectiveness of services and customer work. The self-assessment metric is used to map satisfaction in ten areas of life. The effectiveness of the meter has been examined by collecting data (N=335), where respondents have verbally described their life situation. The traffic light model used in Zekki systems seems to categorize people quite well into correct life situations. The results have been reported in a referee article. Another review has extracted analytics data from the Zekki service (N=30,000) to find out what kinds of services have interested respondents so much that they have moved from the Zekki service to the websites of organisations providing external support services. The workshop examines the manuscript drawn up on the basis of the material and summarises the experiences gained from using the wellbeing assessment in digital service guidance.

ABSTRACT. The quality of life in cities depends on a combination of objective and subjective factors that include the quality and efficiency of local public services such as transport, urban hygiene, education and the management of public spaces, all elements that contribute to cities livability. This topic is becoming increasingly important in local and national public policies. In this context, the evaluation of the quality of life and of the local public services becomes an indispensable tool to ensure the efficient programming of resources and interventions in the territory. The verification and monitoring activities that ACOS, the Agency for the control and quality of local public services of Rome Capital, has carried out in the territory of Rome for more than 20 years are aimed at understanding and evaluating the state of services and the perception that citizens have of them in a particularly complex, large and stratified territorial context. We present a summary of the research coordinated by ACOS on the measured and perceived quality of life in the municipality of Rome in recent years.

ABSTRACT. In October 2023, 251 Israelis were abducted to Gaza, with 90 still in captivity. This crisis profoundly impacted Israeli society, creating a ripple effect of collective trauma that extends beyond the hostages and their families. The ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the hostages have disrupted societal cohesion, emphasizing the urgent need for structured, community-based responses to foster resilience and healing. The “COME TOGETHER“ initiative emerged as a grassroots movement to address these challenges and inspire collective action. By focusing on education, advocacy, and engagement, COME TOGETHER bridges the gap between individual suffering and societal well-being. Since its inception, it has mobilized over 800 volunteers, including professionals from medicine, psychology, and education, who have conducted more than 450 lectures and workshops. These sessions, reaching over 20,000 participants across Israel, have raised awareness about the medical and psychological effects of captivity, fostered empathy, and strengthened communal solidarity. COME TOGETHER integrates multidisciplinary insights to inform community-level interventions that address ambiguous loss and collective grief. By transforming feelings of learned helplessness into purposeful action, it empowers communities and underscores the importance of shared resilience in the face of societal crises. Its approach highlights the transformative potential of grassroots initiatives to inform and complement public policy. COME TOGETHER provides a scalable and adaptable model for advancing sustainable well-being through community-driven action. By engaging diverse sectors and fostering collaboration, it demonstrates how grassroots mobilization can inspire policies that promote inclusion, resilience, and collective healing. This initiative illustrates how integrating community action into public policy frameworks can transform societal challenges into opportunities for growth, connection, and progress. COME TOGETHER’s work aligns with the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies’ conference theme, “Redefining Progress: Achieving Sustainable Well-Being for All,” by showing how grassroots movements can drive sustainable development and societal resilience.

ABSTRACT. Public policies play a decisive role in improving the well-being of the population, covering key areas such as health, socio-economic development and education. Successive government initiatives in the areas of health, the economy and education have all contributed to improving the socio-economic conditions of the population. Notwithstanding these efforts, Benin faces challenges such as unemployment, , unequal distribution of resources, corruption, regional diplomatic instability and a lack of infrastructure, particularly in health and education. This study analyzes the impact of the country's public policies on the population's well-being, highlighting both the advances and the challenges. The approach adopted in this research is both qualitative and quantitative, using observation, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires as investigative techniques. Ultimately, the empirical data reveals that despite the progress made, sustained government commitment, increased investment in social services, and more effective implementation mechanisms are needed to guarantee long-term improvements. It also proposes recommendations such as improved governance, technology development at local level, good management of public-private partnerships and equitable distribution of available resources to ensure sustainable development and a better quality of life for every citizen.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, Service-Learning (SL) has emerged as an innovative pedagogical strategy in higher education, integrating academic learning with active community engagement and service. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) SL program, “Service Leadership through Serving Children and Families with Special Needs,” applies this approach by combining theoretical instruction and hands-on application. In this program, PolyU students attended lectures and workshops in Hong Kong and then delivered SL services to primary school students with special needs in Xi’an. Grounded in Service Leadership Theory, the current study examines the effectiveness of this SL program in fostering service providers’ service leadership qualities (self-leadership, caring disposition, character strengths), positive youth development (PYD) attributes (cognitive-behavioral competence, positive identity, general PYD qualities), and life satisfaction. Using a pre-test-post-test design, the study surveyed 108 PolyU students (Mean age = 19.85 ± 0.49 years, 37% male) via questionnaires. We used a one-way repeated measures MANOVA to identify changes before and after the program and a series of cross-lagged panel modeling analyses to explore the impact of service leadership qualities on PYD attributes and life satisfaction. Results showed significant improvements in students’ service leadership qualities, cognitive-behavioral competence, positive identity, and life satisfaction, though general PYD attributes did not show significant change. The cross-lagged panel analysis further indicated significant correlated changes across all models, suggesting that enhancements in service leadership qualities potentially promote PYD attributes and life satisfaction over time. These findings underscore the beneficial impact of SL programs on the holistic development of university students. The study underscores the value of Service Leadership education through SL to promote the well-being of young people.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, the growing demand for service leaders has prompted many universities in Hong Kong to launch service-learning courses aiming at cultivating leadership skills in university students and enhancing their well-being. Although the value of service-learning subjects has been examined, more comprehensive and multidimensional investigations are needed to understand how related credit-bearing courses benefit students.

This study adopted a single-group pretest and posttest design to evaluate the effectiveness of a service-learning course offered by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Over two academic years, 2022–23 and 2023–24, 152 undergraduate students taking the course completed the pre- and post-tests (44.1% male, mean age = 20.14 years), which measured service leadership, multidimensional positive youth development (PYD), and life satisfaction. To assess differences in the students’ scores before and after attending the course, we used the repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). We further investigated the association between the PYD and life satisfaction in the pretest and service leadership in the posttest using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Results showed that university students who took the course experienced significant improvements in all dimensions of leadership qualities (p < 0.001). Furthermore, students’ PYD and life satisfaction were significantly improved as well (p < 0.001). The SEM model suggested that that PYD in the pretest positively and significantly predicted service leadership in the posttest, while life satisfaction could not.

This study demonstrated that the service-learning course effectively inculcates leadership qualities in university students and improves their well-being. This study not only confirms the effectiveness of the service-learning course, but also supports the positive relationship between PYD and leadership abilities of university students.

ABSTRACT. Background: Service leadership theory, characterized by nurturing competence, character, and care, fulfils the needs of self, others, and systems, aiming at enhancing well-being. However, empirical research on the role of service leadership qualities on well-being remains limited. This study investigated the changes in students after participating in a seven-week credit-bearing service leadership course at a university in Hong Kong during the 2023/2024 summer semester, with the use of measures of “service leadership attributes” and “well-being.”

Methods: A single-group pre-test-post-test research design was employed, involving 63 students from two classes. Validated measures were used to assess students’ “Service Leadership Attributes” (i.e., “Attitude,” “Behavior,” and “Knowledge”) and “Well-being” (i.e., “Positive Youth Development” and “Life Satisfaction”) to monitor changes over the course duration.

Results: Repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant improvements in service leadership attitude, service leadership behaviour, and well-being dimensions (life satisfaction, positive youth development) post-course. However, there was an interaction effect between service leadership knowledge and class, with significant improvement observed in one class but not in the other. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that pre-test service leadership attitude, behaviour, and knowledge predicted post-test positive youth development; pre-test service leadership attitudes and behaviour predicted post-test life satisfaction.

Discussion: The study suggests an intimate link between “service leadership attributes” and “well-being” among university students. The findings suggest that service leadership education is beneficial to the students, and the subject fosters student development across multiple domains, including “service leadership attributes,” “positive youth development,” and “life satisfaction.”

ABSTRACT. According to the Service Leadership Theory, service leadership attributes are intimately linked to the well-being. However, there is a lack of studies in Chinese societies based on university students. Utilizing a one-group pretest-posttest design (N = 92), we examined the objective outcomes of a seven-week Service Leadership course held in the summer semester of 2023. The students responded to related measures at pretest and posttest. These included service leadership attitude, behavior, and knowledge, life satisfaction, and different indicators of positive youth development (general positive youth development, cognitive-behavioral competence, and positive identity). Analyses comparing participants’ pretest and posttest highlighted that a notable positive change in both “service leadership attributes” and “subjective well-being”. Cross-lagged analyses showed that life satisfaction and PYD measures (overall PYD, cognitive-behavioral competence, and positive identity) had a significant unidirectional influence on service leadership behaviors. However, no significant bidirectional effects were observed among life satisfaction, PYD measures (overall PYD, cognitive-behavioral competence, and positive identity) and service leadership attributes (knowledge and attitudes), although a significant unidirectional relationship was identified from service leadership attitude to general PYD qualities. The current evaluation revealed a significant role of well-being in service leadership attributes, suggesting that higher levels of well-being positively influence service leadership attributes. Meanwhile, service leadership attitudes also significantly and positively predicting general PYD, underscoring the role of service leadership education on developmental assets.

ABSTRACT. The UK has pioneered the development of the WELLBY (Wellbeing Adjusted Life Year) approach, formally incorporating it into HM Treasury's Green Book - the UK Government's guidance for policy appraisal and evaluation. This milestone established legitimised the WELLBY approach for government, as well as private and third sector evaluations. It reached a consensus monetary-equivalent value for wellbeing, creating the conditions for more widespread use wellbeing cost-benefit analysis. However, case studies implementing the method have emerged only gradually and State of Life, a specialised wellbeing economics consultancy, has been at the forefront in producing several of the UK’s leading, practical WELLBY applications. Dr Allan Little is both the co-author of the Green Book wellbeing guidance and now Chief Economist at State of Life. Allan proposes to present methodological insights across a number of landmark State of Life projects in 2024:

Sport England's new model of social value to assess the overall value of physical activity in England, alongside detailed insights into the variation in the wellbeing value of sport by socio-demographics.

Our ongoing project for Tearfund in Africa. This raises challenges in how we consider monetary-equivalent WELLBY conversions in developing countries, adapting the UK’s willingness to pay measures in eight, lower-income countries The National Churches Trust's House of Good Health evaluation, which places a wellbeing value on services delivered in church buildings. Our wellbeing evaluation feasibility study for Ofcom – the UK communications regulatory - to support assessment of children's wellbeing impacts associated with the Government’s Online Safety Act.

The presentation also highlights State of Life's collaboration with LSE to expand the WELLBY methodology for younger children (the “C-WELLBY”) who are unable to answer the life satisfaction question.

Throughout, we offer deeply pragmatic and practical solutions to the technical, methodological challenges when applying the WELLBY ‘at the coalface’.

ABSTRACT. As wellbeing becomes an increasingly explicit policy goal in countries across the world, the demand for evidence upon which to base intervention is growing. In this presentation we summarize a forthcoming book of chapters (to be published by Routledge) which surveys and synthesizes recent developments in well being science and policy to highlight key lessons learned and to offer actionable insights for policy making. In line with the structure of the book, the presentation starts with an introduction on the state of play of well being policy then proceeds to review some of the key evidence from interventions in various domains, including income, work, health, family, altruism & empathy, ageing, gender, education, housing, environment, crime, democracy, migration, religion, digital technology and art, culture & creativity. In each case we emphasize the potential transferability of evidence. The presentation then details the experience of embedding well being into policy in diverse countries, namely Bhutan, New Zealand, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Malta, contributing to our understanding of the positive experiences and struggles. We conclude by presenting the common themes and integrated actionable points which emerge from the 41 contributing authors across 27 chapters that serve as recommendations for practitioners, policy makers, and researchers in a specific domain or a country.

ABSTRACT. Those of us born in the 20th Century often utilized local or regional resources and expertise as it was all that was accessible. Scholars had limited access to global theories, frameworks and practices that could potentially enhance our quality of life and community well-being, due to geographic divide and diverse linguistics. We would have never dreamed to communicate with colleagues globally from their home phones or computers, nor the ability to combine international expertise to address local and global issues through scholarly collaboration. Yet, through modern technological advancements, we now have access to more information than ever before. However, in the 21st Century, we can access global data, explore disciplinary best practices, test theoretical models, translate information through AI, and examine novel applications in an instant. Likewise, we can communicate directly with colleagues, communities, and collaborators from across the globe all in the comfort of our homes. These innovations provided a unique opportunity for scholars from three continents and three time zones to coalesce in a collaborative effort to enhance the quality of life within their local and global communities. Throughout our presentation we will discuss the trials and tribulations of global collaborations with scholars from North America, Africa and Oceana. More specifically, we will discuss synergistic strategies including sharing theoretical and conceptual frameworks, methodological expertise, cultural nuances and community engagement. Our presentation is intended to provide a contextual example and model for contemporary global collaborations focusing on combining global expertise to enhance the quality of life for our local and international communities.

ABSTRACT. The internet can be an incredible resource for learning, connection and entertainment - all important for our wellbeing. But it can also expose us to very real risks and harms. Governments across the world are stepping in to tackle these risks through online safety regulations. Practical guidance is needed for how to understand the implications of these laws in their fullest sense and their impact on wellbeing. To fill this gap, this study aimed to assess whether and how the wellbeing impacts of the UK Online Safety Act could be evaluated, focusing on the wellbeing of children and young people. A feasibility study was carried out. This drew out the evidenced links between online harms and wellbeing for young people, assessed whether wellbeing measures were suitable for assessing the impact of online harms, summarised the relevant wellbeing questions for young people and proposed how a wellbeing evaluation could be carried out. The study recommended that wellbeing metrics would add additional, important information alongside data on exposure and clinical health outcomes. A further recommendation was to treat wellbeing measures not just as an outcome of online harms, but also as a risk factor. Low wellbeing could help identify children that are especially vulnerable to online dangers, or likely to suffer more severe consequences when exposed. The study recommended the wellbeing questions and study design which could most usefully be employed for this policy need and context.

ABSTRACT. Modern Western societies face growing performance pressures, socio-economic inequalities, and global crises like climate change and geopolitical instability. In response, many seek alternative ways to enhance their well-being, including spiritual retreat tourism. This study focuses on Koh Phangan, Thailand, a global hub for spiritual tourism for predominantly Western clients. Through the lens of quality of life studies, the research examines how retreats foster introspection, enabling participants to reassess values, confront existential crises, and make lifestyle changes. Based on qualitative research (ethnographic fieldwork including participant observation and interviews with seven attendees), the study explores motivations and experiences at a spiritual retreat. Participants, ranging from young students and professionals to midlife individuals, describe transformative experiences via practices such as yoga, meditation, tantra, and breathwork. Findings reveal that these retreats serve as places for personal healing and critiques of Western norms, emphasizing well-being, spiritual fulfillment, and authenticity. While providing opportunities for personal growth, the individualized, self-centered nature of the offers could also be seen as a flight from Western achievement society which became visible in the interviews of travelers on different stages of their journeys to their selves. Although the qualitative scope limits generalizability, the findings contribute to broader discussions on tourism, well-being, and quality of life. They illustrate how these spiritual retreats in the far East predominantly for Western clients serve as spaces for reconnecting with mental, physical, emotional and social needs, helping Western individuals to cope with high-pressure capitalist societies.

ABSTRACT. The relationship between religiosity, mindfulness, and well-being has been widely studied, yet rarely within the context of structured religious and mindfulness practices. To address this gap, a study was conducted with two distinct groups. Fifteen religious participants engaged in a five-day retreat based on the Ignatian spiritual exercises, while nine mindfulness practitioners attended a five-day mindfulness retreat. Participants' levels of well-being, religiosity, mindfulness, and distress were assessed before and after the retreats using validated measures, including the Life Satisfaction Scale, Centrality of Religiosity Scale, Hoge Intrinsic Motivation Religiosity Scale, Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale, and the Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Scale. In the religious group, the results indicated a slight decrease in well-being and religiosity, a modest increase in mindfulness, and a more notable reduction in distress. However, none of these changes were statistically significant. Similarly, in the mindfulness group, well-being and mindfulness increased, religiosity remained unchanged, and distress decreased, but these changes also did not reach statistical significance. When comparing the two groups, religiosity was significantly higher in the religious group, as anticipated. Meanwhile, well-being and mindfulness levels were comparable across both groups, and distress was higher in the mindfulness group, though the difference was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that both religious and mindfulness practices may contribute to improvements in well-being and reductions in distress, though short-term retreats might not produce substantial measurable changes, particularly in individuals already engaged in these practices. Future research could benefit from examining the effects of longer or more intensive retreats to determine whether more significant outcomes emerge over time. Additionally, larger sample sizes could help detect subtle differences and provide more statistically robust conclusions. Overall, these results highlight the potential of both religious and mindfulness practices as valuable tools for enhancing well-being and managing distress, adaptable to individual preferences and beliefs.

ABSTRACT. This research examined the prospective relationship between religion/spirituality (R/S) and mental health within the two-continua model of mental health, which conceptualizes psychopathology and well-being as related but distinct dimensions. Additionally, it examined the mediating role of self-compassion, defined as a positive and supportive attitude toward oneself, in this relationship. Two independent studies were conducted. The first was a prospective online survey (N=560; mean age = 49 years; 66% female; 4-week follow-up) investigating the association between spirituality (measured with the SAIL) and mental health (well-being measured with the MHCSF-SF, and psychopathology with the SQ-48) among Dutch-speaking adults from the general population. Spirituality was found to predict changes in both well-being and psychopathology. The subscale "meaning in life" was linked to increased well-being, while "trust" was associated with reduced psychopathology. However, "transcendent experience" was associated with a small increase in psychopathology over time. Path analysis further revealed that self-compassion, assessed using the Dutch Self-Compassion Scale, mediated the relationship between spirituality and both well-being and psychopathology. The second study, involving an independent sample of Dutch-speaking adults (N=223; mean age=52 years; 78% female; 4-6 months follow-up), confirmed this mediational model. R/S was assessed using a shortened Dutch Questionnaire of God Representations, well-being with the WHO-5, depression symptoms with the PHQ-9, and anxiety symptoms with the GAD-7. Positive perceptions of God/the divine were linked to greater self-compassion, fostering improved well-being. Conversely, fear of divine rejection and punishment correlated with self-criticism, leading to reduced well-being and increased vulnerability to depression and anxiety. These findings highlight a unique pathway from R/S through self-compassion that enhances well-being and mitigates psychopathology. They underscore the importance of addressing both domains in interventions to promote mental health.

ABSTRACT. Wellbeing is what is good for someone or makes their life go well. Defining wellbeing thus requires making a value judgement and so it is not a pure scientific construct. Responsible social science, and especially responsible wellbeing policy, requires attention to the ethical dimensions of wellbeing as a construct. Given that people tend to disagree about wellbeing, including scientists across and even within disciplines, practising this ethical sensitivity is often not straightforward. This presentation showcases a variety of methods, including coproduction, adversarial collaboration, interdisciplinary teams, and deliberative democratic mechanisms, that can help incorporate a plurality of perspectives on wellbeing into quality-of-life research. It draws on epistemic perspectives from the philosophy of science around responsible social science with thick concepts, meta-science perspectives on the merits and methods of adversarial collaborations, policy studies perspectives on inclusive policy development and co-design, and the authors personal experiences with all of the above.

ABSTRACT. Measuring well-being is not simply a descriptive process, it is also an evaluative one. In other words, any measurement of well-being is comprised of two pieces of information: a descriptive quantity and an evaluative value-judgement. Decoupling the two would be a devaluation of what quality-of-life researchers seek to measure—what is good for someone for its own sake. If proceeding as a purely descriptive discipline is unappealing, we should strive for a deeper understanding of how value-judgements arise in the field and their downstream consequences. In this talk, the focus will be on value-judgments at the level of individual and population well-being measurement. Ultimately, if the goal of well-being research is to inform policy prioritization through cost-benefit analysis, values embedded in individual and population well-being measurement, whether implicit or explicit, will inevitably shape policymaking—and finally, people’s lives. As such, the image of the ‘detached’ scientist or the ‘objective’ policy maker is incompatible with this research agenda in a democracy. The talk will conclude with some potential objections and pathways forward.

ABSTRACT. One of the most important markers of a healthy science is the ability for research findings to be reproduced and replicated. Starting in 2011, psychological science confronted its replication crisis and various meta-scientific insights were developed in the subsequent credibility movement. This talk will take the audience through the origins of the replication crisis, the implications of the credibility movement for well-being science, scientific practices that promise to improve the replicability (e.g., pre-registration, crowdsourcing, Big Science), and pathways forward for a more rigorous and cohesive well-being science knowledge base.

ABSTRACT. In many economically highly-developed countries, a relevant proportion of the population emigrates annually. This group is often assumed to experience increases in subjective well-being (SWB) because of the benefits accompanied with migration. A signifcant share of emigrants, however, return back home at some point. Little is known about returnees’ potential costs and benefits, and SWB. From a neoclassical economic persepctive, returneesare conceived as ‘failed emigrants’ who return due to unmet emigration expectations. This would suggest that returnees experience decreases in SWB during their time abroad, and possible increases after they returned back home, e.g. due to occupational improvements and better social embeddedness. In contrast, new economics of labor migration (NELM) see returnees as successful migrants who return because they achieved their goals abroad. From this perspective, returnees’ SWB should increase abroad and remain stable with the return because of improved individual utility levels. We tap into the research gap by investigating shifts in SWB of internationally mobile German citizens in the course of (i.e. before and after) their return to Germany. We apply fixed effects (FE) panel regression models and impact functions to probaility-based data of the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS), which is representative with respect to the studied group. Results reveal that returnees’ SWB decreases slightly abroad but remains stable overall during the course of return (B = -0.05, SE = 0.072, p = 0.463). However, the outlined contrasting theoretical assumptions and preliminary evidence suggest that return motives cause substantial heterogeneity in how returning affects SWB.

ABSTRACT. Upon their arrival, individuals seeking protection in Germany are geographically distributed by authorities. In the assigned region they are obliged to live in reception centers and shared accommodations until the asylum procedure has been completed. Originally, residential restrictions were lifted once a protection status was granted. However, since the so-called Integration Act came into force on the 6th of August 2016, freedom of movement is restricted further and refugees can be subject to a residency restriction for additional three years after they were granted protection. Depending on the federal state they were assigned to, this restriction can be as narrowly as on the district level. This paper investigates if residency restrictions affect the subjective well-being of refugees. It is hypothesized that for example through feelings of exclusion or disenfranchisement residency restriction can have a negative impact on their quality of life. The paper relies on the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees and methodologically employs an instrumental variable approach with an individual’s exogenous timing of receiving legal protection status (before or after January 1st 2016) being used as an instrument. Additionally, the approach makes use of the mostly random distribution of refugees upon their arrival across Germany and the variation by federal states in implementing the residency restrictions on the federal or district level. Preliminary results of the paper reveal, that residency restrictions have a significant negative impact on refugee’s life satisfaction. In further steps, the paper aims at uncovering mediating factors through which this effect holds. In summary, a more precise understanding of the extensive effects of limiting the spatial mobility of individuals is enabled. Since health is a basic prerequisite for labor market participation, ways of how the integration of refugees into the labor market and society can be improved will become apparent.

ABSTRACT. Background: The unique geopolitical context of Hong Kong gives rise to complex spatial mobility of children living in this region. Except for local children who are born and raised in Hong Kong (HKLS), three other groups of children are identified according to their varied migration and residential backgrounds: cross-border students (CBS) who hold Hong Kong permanent residency, reside in mainland China, but attend Hong Kong schools and commute between the HK-mainland border on a daily basis; new immigrant students (NIS) who are born in the mainland, of Chinese nationality, immigrate with their parents, and have stayed in Hong Kong for less than seven years; and HK-born students living in mainland China (HKMS) who hold Hong Kong permanent residency but reside and attend schools in mainland China. This study attempted to assess the impacts of these diverse patterns of spatial mobility by examining the effects of school choice, residential location, migration status, and migration strategy on a wide set of indicators of children’s well-being. Methods: Data came from a cross-sectional survey in Hong Kong and Shenzhen with 2,610 4th-9th grade students (445 CBS, 348 NIS, 430 HKMS, and 1,387 HKLS). 25 indicators from 5 dimensions (physical health, mental health, resilience, educational outcomes, inter-personal relationships) were selected to measure different aspects of children’s well-being. Propensity score matching (PSM) method was employed to assess the influences of spatial mobility on children’s well-being. Results: The PSM results suggest no significant impact of residential location. CBS and HKLS fare similarly across almost all well-being indicators. NIS significantly outperformed HKLS, while family migration strategy and school location bring both benefits and costs to children’s wellbeing. Conclusions: Our findings reveal the complicated and multi-faceted impacts of spatial mobility on children’s wellbeing across the HK-mainland border. Policy and practice implications of these findings are further discussed.

ABSTRACT. Abstract— Bangkok faces significant challenges in ensuring high travel quality, as evi-denced by frequent traffic congestion and delays that demand innovative solutions. Understanding the relationship between the built environment and travel quality in this rapidly urbanizing context requires unconventional analytical approaches. This study adopts a deep learning approach utilizing street view imagery to explore how urban configurations influence travel quality in peri-urban areas of Thailand, Pathum Thani province. By applying Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to large datasets of street view images of 4,028 sets, the research systematically extracts and analyzes features of the built environment, such as road design, signage, pedestrian infrastructure, and surrounding land use. This advanced image-based methodology enables the identification of complex patterns and associations that traditional analytical methods may overlook. The integration of deep learning with geospatial street imagery offers a scalable and detailed assessment of urban landscapes, unveiling key factors that influence travel quality. The insights derived from this approach inform strategic interventions in sustainable urban planning, emphasizing the need to harmonize built environment design with transportation infrastructure to enhance overall travel experiences. This study not only advances the methodological framework for analyzing travel quality in term of Quality of Life (QoL) and perceived Travel Quality of Life (T-QoL), but also provides a replicable model seeking to leverage deep learning and visual data in their efforts to improve urban mobility and efficiency.

ABSTRACT. There is a growing recognition that traditional economic indicators, such as GDP, are inadequate for capturing societal progress. A shift is underway towards a more holistic approach that prioritizes human wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and social equity. The Sustainable and Inclusive Wellbeing (SIWB) framework proposed in this paper is a novel tool designed to capture the complex interrelationships between social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of wellbeing. It integrates existing monitoring tools and indicators, providing a comprehensive approach to wellbeing. The European Union has made significant efforts to develop measurement frameworks addressing various aspects of social, economic, and environmental wellbeing. However, a fragmented landscape exists, where sector-specific frameworks tackle focused aspects of wellbeing in individual policy areas, resulting in reduced overall coherence and effectiveness. The SIWB framework aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive and integrated approach to wellbeing, prioritizing inclusiveness, intergenerational fairness, and the preservation of natural capital. This paper presents both the conceptual and measuring framework and conducts a mapping exercise on the already existing EU monitoring frameworks. The SIWB framework has the potential to bridge both measurement and policy gaps, promoting a more integrated and outcomes-focused approach to policy design. By identifying overarching wellbeing objectives, it can help strengthen the alignment between government agencies and encourage collaboration towards achieving common goals. Its comprehensive approach can support policymakers in making informed decisions that balance competing priorities and ensure a more sustainable and inclusive future for all. The development of the SIWB framework marks a significant step towards addressing the interconnected nature of social, economic, environmental, and intergenerational aspects of wellbeing in the European Union.

ABSTRACT. The European Commission’s Sustainable and Inclusive Wellbeing (SIWB) framework integrates 140 indicators into a dashboard, providing a holistic view of the wellbeing of people and the planet. A streamlined dashboard of 50 key indicators and summary synthetic indices were developed for easier communication to policymakers and the public. This paper presents analysis based on the dashboard of 50 indicators, and the corresponding summary synthetic measures. The dashboards show that the state of wellbeing and its components in the EU varies across Member States. These differences can be attributed to a range of factors such as economic conditions, social policies, or healthcare systems. Northern and Western EU Member States record the highest overall levels of sustainable and inclusive wellbeing, while Eastern and Southern Member States show a weaker situation. The countries with the highest overall wellbeing, including its different aspects and facets, are Sweden and Finland, while Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Austria are characterized by above-average performance in all areas except spillovers, where they place towards the bottom of the distribution, and nature, where they remain only around the EU average. While these countries have some of the highest GDP per capita among the Member States, Estonia and Slovakia stand out with their above-average overall wellbeing, contrasted by below-average GDP per capita, serving as an example of the potential decoupling of wellbeing from income. Over the last decade, sustainable and inclusive wellbeing in the European Union has shown a positive trend, with improvements in various aspects of life, including employment, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.

The SIWB dashboard could support EU policies in balancing the economic aspects of wellbeing with sustainability and social equity. It casts light on the trade-offs and synergies between these aspect, but also between wellbeing today and tomorrow, helping to ensure intergenerational fairness.

ABSTRACT. Trying to nail down what makes a happy life has been a preoccupation of humans since the ancient Greeks. There is a mushrooming field of research studying individuals’ wellbeing and happiness. We wish to build on recent scientific findings and explore the role of community. There is an inherent assumption that happy people will make a happy society. Societal or community wellbeing is treated as a sum of individual wellbeing’s. But there is a collective dimension to wellbeing that gets little attention in this process. There is an alternative way to think of community wellbeing. Of course, individual wellbeing will influence collective wellbeing and vice versa. But the collective is more than the sum of the parts. As we know from existing scholarship, an important element to the quality of collective life is agency. The ability to take action and influence the circumstances of the community. Therefore, building on existing scholarship and frameworks, we designed the “12 Dimensions of a Good Life™ ” (“12D”) framework is to offer communities a practical paradigm that is actionable ground-up, that complements prevailing top-down frameworks such as the SDGs. 12D builds on existing frameworks and scientific evidence and offers an integrated approach to ground-up action at these multiple scales. “12 Dimensions of a Good Life™”offers a blueprint to help communities’ build resilience and wellbeing ground-up for current and future generations. . Using a PLS-SEM methodology, this paper highlights the importance of adopting a holistic approach to understanding and promoting well-being, recognizing that these dimensions are interconnected and dynamic. By addressing the multidimensional nature of well-being, policymakers, practitioners, and individuals can develop more effective strategies to enhance quality of life and foster sustainable well-being across diverse populations.

ABSTRACT. Part one of the presentation reflects on the theoretical underpinnings of the concept human development. There is an evolving understanding that the meaning of progress in the time of the Anthropocene needs redefining. It is argued that human development is the process whereby individuals and societies transition to a qualitatively better state. Sustainable well-being for humans within the integrated earth system is a qualitatively better goal than sustainable quantitative development. The concept of planetary well-being encapsulates this redefined notion of development. Planetary wellbeing can be defined as the highest attainable standard of well-being for human and living non-human beings within the integrated earth system. Furthermore, this redefined notion of development calls for Planetary Well-being Goals (PWGs), which build upon, but also improve, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as articulated by the United Nations. Part two of the presentation endeavours to further reflect on the meaning of the re-defined understanding of human development. The Nova Institute has recently developed, tested, and implemented an innovative domestic waste service model in two communities that do not have any municipal waste services. In absence of waste removal services, households are obliged to find alternative methods to dispose of their waste, which include the dumping and burning of domestic waste. The Nova model incorporates separation of waste at source by households and recruiting of waste pickers from the local area to operate a locally -managed-mini-waste-sorting-for-transfer-facility. Reference is made to the indicators used to quantify and monitor the social and ecological benefits of the programme. Ultimately, the contribution of the programme towards planetary well-being goals is considered.

ABSTRACT. In her latent deprivation model, Jahoda proposed that work not only fulfills manifest functions (e.g., pay) but also provides latent functions, such as social contact and time structure. Job loss reduces these functions, which have been shown to influence well-being and psychological health during unemployment. However, previous research has limitations, such as small sample sizes and a lack of understanding of how latent and manifest functions vary within employment and unemployment.

Using longitudinal data from the “Labour Market and Social Security” (PASS) survey (2020-2022) with over 10,000 participants, we expand on earlier findings by testing Jahoda’s model. Our analysis shows that employment indeed provides latent functions and that unemployment leads to significant declines in these functions over time. We also demonstrate that latent and manifest functions moderate the negative effects of unemployment on well-being, including health and life satisfaction.

Our study examined latent and manifest functions using the Latent and Manifest Benefits of Work Scale (LaMB). We find that full-time employment generally leads to higher scores on the LaMB, with the exception of social contact. Furthermore, we present the first longitudinal evidence of within-individual changes in latent and manifest functions due to job loss. Our results show that job loss causes immediate activity and financial strain declines, which worsen over time. Social contact and identification with collective goals deteriorate later, while time structure and status remain relatively unaffected.

Lastly, we demonstrate that latent and manifest functions predict life satisfaction and psychological health outcomes. Specifically, LaMB factors explain 64.8% of the effect of unemployment duration on life satisfaction and 86.3% of the effect on psychological health, highlighting the significant role of these functions in the relationship between unemployment and well-being.

ABSTRACT. Previous research has linked job insecurity to health deterioration. The risk accumulation model suggests that health effects of job insecurity may persist even after job security is restored, yet long-term empirical analyses are scarce. Our study evaluates the long-term effects of accumulated exposures to affective job insecurity on mental and physical health among the working-age population in Germany. Using data from the German Socioeconomic Panel (12,624 individuals; 84,219 observations), we applied panel regression models with individual fixed effects to assess short- and long-term health changes associated with affective job insecurity. Job insecurity was measured by respondents’ worries about job security. Mental and physical health was recorded with the SF-12 scale. Job insecurity correlated with short-term worsening in mental and physical health. However, after job insecurity ceased, health recovery was incomplete resulting in a long-term health deterioration. The long-term effects were larger among respondents who accumulated more instances of job insecurity, and showed a similar pattern for mental and physical health. An additional analysis documented stronger health effects of job insecurity among lower educated persons. Our study is one of the first to empirically demonstrate the negative long-term health effects of job insecurity. Our findings for a well-protected labor market like Germany’s, suggest that the health risks associated with job insecurity may be substantial and potentially underestimated by studies that focus solely on short-term effects.

ABSTRACT. We bring in a novel contextual factor by focusing on the moderating role of the media discourse on unemployment. A salient discourse about the life situations of unemployed individuals might reinforce the perception of the unemployed of being in a low-esteemed social position, leading to additional losses in SWB. Similarly, stronger unemployment effects can also be the consequence of a salient public discourse on bad labor market prospects. By considering media discussions about stigma attached to unemployment as well as bad labor market prospects, we contribute to the unexplored research question of whether the media discourse on unemployment shapes the effect of individual unemployment on SWB (RQ1). We also contribute to the literature on the social norm hypothesis, which states that high regional unemployment mitigates the unemployment effect and lowers the SWB gap due to less stigma and social disapproval if unemployed are surrounded by many other unemployed individuals (Frey & Stutzer, 2002). While some studies find support for this hypothesis (e.g., Clark, 2003), several studies find amplification instead of mitigation of the unemployment effect if the unemployment rate is high (e.g., Oesch & Lipps, 2013), implying that bad labor market prospects could drive this effect. By separately analyzing the extent to which salient discourses about stigma attached to unemployment and bad labor market prospects moderate the unemployment effect on SWB for high and low unemployment regions, we can address this issue. If the normalization hypothesis is true, then unemployed in regions with a high unemployment rate should react less to stigmatization and bad labor market prospects. Thus, we analyze whether the moderating role of the media discourse about stigma attached to unemployment and bad labor market prospects are different for regions with low and high unemployment (RQ2).

ABSTRACT. Abstract Background: In recent decades, the evolving job market has highlighted the importance of work-life balance (WLB), yet there remains ambiguity around individuals' awareness of WLB's future consequences and its influence on their choices.

Methods: This study introduces a novel method for assessing the perceived impact of three components of one's current WLB—stress and burnout, boundaries, and flexibility—on one’s future health, future community relations, and future financial situation. Additionally, we evaluate the validity of our approach by investigating how the perceived future impact affects decision making related to WLB management.

Results: We find large differences between the perceived impact of each WLB component on each future aspect of life. We then demonstrate the linkage between the perceived impact and individuals’ current decision-making processes regarding WLB management.

Conclusions: Our results offer managers and human resource experts insights for informed decision-making on allocating resources to WLB components in organizations.

ABSTRACT. We examine the urban-rural happiness gradient by different age groups using a novel multi-item Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Unhappiness with city life is common in developed countries and research using the GSS and other single item scales have found that Americans in general are happiest in smaller cities and rural areas. However, previous research shows that one of the latest generations, Millennials (1982-2004), as opposed to earlier generations, are happiest in large cities. We explore whether using a multi-item scale to measure happiness yields similar results as single item scales.

ABSTRACT. The Botnar Foundation is supporting a large-scale project in the Global South to explore the intersection of youth participation, technology, and urban governance in intermediate cities. The research focuses on understanding how youth political participation can contribute to strength urban governance. In Colombia, three intermediate cities—Manizales, Cartagena, and Quibdó—were selected as case studies, representing the diverse range of urban capacities and resources typical of intermediate cities in Latin America. Through extensive fieldwork, including in-depth interviews with young political leaders, policymakers, and NGOs, we identified a pressing concern: the well-being and mental health of the youth population. Local governments are increasingly alarmed by rising suicide rates, substance abuse, and the growing demand for programs addressing emotional well-being. This presentation examines the capabilities of local governments, often constrained by tight budgets and limited experience in mental health interventions, to address these critical issues. The findings shed light on the urgent need for innovative and scalable solutions to enhance youth well-being. The research also highlights the broader implications for intermediate cities, as they face similar challenges in navigating youth engagement and mental health crises.

ABSTRACT. Longitudinal data in Norway has shown young people (18-30) are reporting increasingly lower life evaluations than older people (60+). Using the Gallup World Poll data from 2006 to 2023 (Nworld = 2.6M, NNorway = 15,048), we show that this increase in the life evaluation age gap in Norway started in 2015 and is explained by the younger getting unhappier while the older have remained at similar levels of life evaluation. The trend is shared among a few other countries with very high democracy, but in most of the world (79%), younger people were happier than older people. We tried to explain the changes in the life evaluation age gap and found that among 80 variables in the Gallup World Poll data, only a few could potentially explain the increased difference in life evaluations in Norway. Older people have been consistently more well-rested and less stressed than young people, and being well-rested has gone from a correlation with life evaluation of -.20 in 2006 to +.20 in 2023 (both p < .05). Relatedly, we see that the gap between old and young people in i) having money for food, ii) standard of living satisfaction, and iii) health care availability have followed a similar trend as for life evaluation. While we can not draw any decisive conclusions on the causes of the difference in life evaluation between young and old people in Norway, we see that economic and stress factors may play a role in the rising difference. We also note that the drop in life evaluation for young adults started when the first teenage generation engaging with social media became adults. This study underlines the importance for highly developed countries to consider the well-being of their youth.

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between the use of character strengths by young people and their level of human flourishing. The research hypothesis suggests that individuals who regularly use their strengths experience higher levels of human flourishing. To test this hypothesis, surveys were conducted with 7,407 university students. Human flourishing was measured using the Human Flourishing Scale (Diener et al., 2010), and a brief version of the strengths use scale was validated for measuring strengths use. The original scale includes three constructs, while the Spanish adaptation has only one construct. The results show that young people who use their strengths more frequently report higher levels of human flourishing.

ABSTRACT. Social cohesion is essential for nearly all aspects of society. Often regarded as one of the pillars of a decent life and living conditions, social cohesion has attracted significant scholarly attention. Although it remains a complex construct—particularly in Africa, where multiethnicity is abundant—understanding the causes and consequences of social cohesion is crucial. One possible consequence of social cohesion is improved overall well-being, a link that has been made by various studies. However, in an African context, studies remain limited. Using the Afrobarometer dataset and multilevel mixed-effects regression analysis, we assess the impact of social cohesion on subjective well-being across a sample of 32 African countries. Our findings indicate that social cohesion has a positive and significant impact on subjective well-being, even when controlling for factors such as perceived corruption. Furthermore, we examine the moderating role of institutional quality and interestingly find that social cohesion has a stronger impact in countries with low institutional quality, underscoring the importance of social cohesion for well-being in these contexts and the varied dynamics of cohesion and subjective well-being across Africa.

ABSTRACT. In recent decades, the determinants of social capital have received considerable global attention in various social science research fields, because social capital and social belonging are regarded as important aspects of quality of life. On this issue, many international comparative studies have focused on social policy as a vital factor in building social capital. Although significant advances have been made, much remains to be learned. First, the proxies for social policy used in earlier studies may have mixed-up the levels and distribution of welfare provisions. Second, relatively few studies have examined the distinct roles of the two important distribution patterns of welfare provisions—low-income targeting and universalism—in social capital through international comparative analyses. Therefore, this study focuses on the associations between the three dimensions of welfare transfers—transfer share, low-income targeting, and universalism—and several aspects of social capital including social networks, social norms, and trust. The present study used data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Database, merged data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and the European Values Study (EVS), and a country fixed-effects model. The dependent variables were the scores for civic participation, political activism, trustworthiness, and institutional trust and the dummy variable for interpersonal trust. The key macro-level variables are transfer share, low-income targeting, and universalism, computed using the Luxembourg Income Study Database. Through an international comparative analysis, this study determined that universalism facilitates interpersonal trust, whereas low-income targeting diminishes several dimensions of social networks. These results suggest that (1) low-income targeting may have a side effect on social capital; and (2) universalism and interpersonal trust may partly explain the self-perpetuating process of the welfare state.

ABSTRACT. Considering that trust is an important determinant of life satisfaction, economic growth and firm performance, we profit from the specific context provided by Luxembourg to investigate the transmission of social norms from the high-trust Germans to the low-trust French. Our contribution is tackling social norms transmission in a controlled experimental setting and using a third country as the “mixing bowl”, as opposed to studies on assimilation into the predominant culture. Through our five-treatment experiment, we expect to identify a convergence in trust between the French and the Germans, with the final equilibrium being slightly higher than Luxembourg’s trust levels. Cultural diversity and internationality conditional on non-segregation are advanced as the main mechanism behind this expected convergence. Other potential mechanisms are investigated. Rather than being a geolocated research question, we argue that this study has applications and policy implications for most countries in all continents.

Data analysis is still undergoing. Initial results point in the direction of the inexistence of a significant Franco-German gap at the origins, and to Luxembourg being the lowest in trust, at least descriptively, and sometimes significantly so if compared to Germany. Still, we find that there is an increase in trust for the French and Germans moving to or working in Luxembourg. We ruled out self-selection based on trust levels. If the mentioned increase in trust for the French and the Germans cannot be explained neither by self-selection nor by the environment, then what is behind it? It becomes more puzzling when we see that in LgLg, although the difference is significant in both cases, cross-borders trust significantly more than migrants. This suggests that exposure to Luxembourg is not necessarily associated with increased trust levels. Then, again, what explains the increase we see for these groups?

(Abstract to be updated before the conference)

ABSTRACT. India ranks 93rd on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) with a score of 39/100 and 126th out of 143 countries on the World Happiness Report. These rankings underscore the need to examine how corruption and trust influence subjective well-being in India’s evolving society. This study investigates the relationship between corruption, trust, and life satisfaction in India. Using secondary data from the 7th wave of the World Value Survey (WVS, 2017–2022) and primary data collected in Jharkhand, the analysis employs an ordered heteroscedastic Probit Model. Life satisfaction, measured using Diener’s Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), serves as the dependent variable. Institutional trust and perceptions of corruption, along with socio-demographic factors, are key independent variables. Key findings of our study reveal that corruption negatively impacts life satisfaction by eroding trust in institutions, with poorer households more adversely affected than richer ones. Conversely, higher institutional trust correlates with greater happiness and life satisfaction. Additional factors, including safety perceptions, freedom of choice, control over life, and cultural values like family, friends, and religiosity, significantly shape well-being. Good health, high income, and close relationships further enhance life satisfaction. The study highlights the pressing need to address structural challenges, including unemployment, inadequate healthcare, and policy inefficiencies. Strengthening grassroots initiatives to combat corruption and foster trust is essential for promoting equitable happiness across India’s diverse demographics. This research bridges local and national perspectives, providing actionable insights for policymakers, academics, and practitioners. By emphasizing trust-building and anti-corruption strategies, it outlines a pathway to enhance life satisfaction and promote inclusive well-being in India and other developing nations.

ABSTRACT. The ambition to achieve well-being for all members of society appears to conflict with competition's central role in organizing not only the economy but also many other spheres of life. While competition can often be productive and lead to win-win outcomes, it can also have negative side effects and prove wasteful from a societal perspective, particularly in the case of positional competition—that is, competition for goods in absolutely limited supply.

This contribution develops a systematic framework for evaluating the potential of certain well-being enhancing efforts to achieve universal well-being, distinguishing between efforts that can genuinely enhance well-being for all and those that can only benefit a few. Building on the literature on positional goods, we introduce key distinctions: means versus ends, short-run versus long-run positional goods, intra-temporal versus inter-temporal competition, and competition for stocks versus flows. These distinctions illuminate the logical and practical constraints on generalizable well-being, considering impacts across societies and generations. While adopting a primarily positive approach ("Can this work for all?"), we also address normative implications regarding the justification of privilege.

Our analysis reveals that some paths to well-being are inherently non-generalizable and that an overly individualistic focus risks the fallacy of composition. We conclude that claims of universally beneficial well-being enhancements require a comprehensive perspective that accounts for intra-societal, inter-societal and intergenerational costs.

ABSTRACT. Social economy has a history of focus on the alleviation of suffering and on the help of those in need. Particular attention is devoted to the vulnerable: the poor, the elderly, the handicapped, the infant at risk, the addicted or those incarcerated. Additionally, many organizations of the social economy belong to the third sector and operate with strong financial constraints, lacking high quality management, being able only to remedy, not to overcome, the problematic situations of the disadvantaged. In line with those who advocate for a systemic and holistic approach to social intervention (moving beyond a charitable perspective), I claim that the incorporation of happiness metrics and happiness policies in the social economy can be a strong transformative force in this economic sector, promoting a refocus of the interventions towards a global approach to the social issues. In particular, I claim that once the happiness of these populations (and not only their suffering alleviation or the amelioration of some predefined indicators) becomes the goal, actions will change, as well as the evaluation of the success of the operations. Furthermore, promoting happiness in these populations is of major impact for society, both directly (the most unhappy are those who can experience more gains in happiness) and indirectly (augmenting the happiness of the needed impacts on their behavior, promoting social capital, diminishing crime, and increasing productivity). Also, the local nature of many organizations of the social economy means that, once this refocus occurs, the happiness of local populations will be boosted, meaning the national happiness can be increased with a bottom-up approach. I rely on results from the happiness literature such as Alessandrini and Jivraj (2017), Bartolini (2014), Boffo et al. (2017), Guler and Gul (2021), Jang et al. (2018), Vazquez (2018) and Chia, et al. (2020) to support the argument.

ABSTRACT. Research in urban planning shows that the built environment has a great power to shape people’s subjective wellbeing and quality of life outcomes. Meanwhile, a large body of psychological research shows that circumstantial and geographical environments play relatively little role in explaining variations in happiness. To provide a quantitative synthesis of several contrasting findings, we apply a meta-analysis. This meta-analysis systematically evaluates quantitative evidence from 56 studies on 29 policy interventions. We found that changes in the neighbourhood environment have a weak effect on wellbeing. Among various types of interventions, subsidised residential mobility programmes, which attempt to relocate households away from deprived neighbourhoods, are more likely to have an impact on wellbeing and mental health, and the effects can last for a few years before dissipating. The wellbeing impact, however, is unequal among adolescents. Beneficial effects are most likely felt among girls, while detrimental effects are more common among boys. The results from our meta-regressions further suggest that among different types of neighbourhood environments, social networks and perceived safety are more relevant than the economic environment.

ABSTRACT. A newly designed framework for assessing youth at risk (henceforth, referred to as ‘youth’) of entering the criminal justice system in Aotearoa New Zealand is presented. This framework is intended for use within a culturally situated holistic intervention programme. The assessment framework is cross-disciplinary, integrating psychological assessment tools and educational assessment tools. In addition, narrative pedagogical documentation practice is included, which is informed by Rameka’s (2023) work on kaupapa Māori assessment. Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. We argue that the combined disciplinary approaches, including the narrative documentation practice will identify strengths and progress of the young people included in the programme. We present our argument that the narrative documentation practice, in particular, has the potential to be emancipatory in that it can enhance the youths’ positive identity, and therefore their wellbeing. In addition, it might enhance relationships between the youth and the adults who work with them on the programme. Our idea for narrative documentation is conceptual at the time of writing this paper. We present a proto-narrative and analysis of the potential benefits and risks inherent in the story.

ABSTRACT. Engaging in physical activity (PA) is especially significant for adolescents, as this is a key life stage for establishing lifelong habits. While the physical, mental, and cognitive health benefits of PA are well-documented, less is known about its relationship with adolescents' life satisfaction (LS). Most existing evidence often involves small sample sizes, focusing particularly on developed regions, and few studies use large-scale comparative data. This study examines the association between adolescents' LS and PA using data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the world's largest comparative education survey of adolescents. Our analysis included 399,794 adolescents from 64 high- and middle-income countries and economies. Using three-level multilevel regressions, we found that, after controlling for individual, family, and school factors, PA is positively and significantly associated with LS. This finding holds for the pooled sample and across the 64 countries analysed. For most countries, we did not find a significant gender moderator effect, suggesting that the positive association between PA and LS did not vary by gender. The findings suggest a global universal health promotion strategy to promote PA in children and young people as a normative developmental process necessary for well-being and mental health.

ABSTRACT. Overparenting has become an emerging parenting style that blossoms in global and Chinese contexts. Overparenting refers to a developmentally inappropriate parenting style where parents intrude into their children’s lives and remove any perceived obstacles in their life paths in order to ensure their children’s success and happiness. This emerging parenting style reveals high parental expectations of children, with children’s success becoming the “report card” of parental success in performing parental roles. Parents also have high expectation on themselves to become “good parents” who are responsible for future success and well-being of their children. Unfortunately, studies examining the relationship among parenting perfectionism, overparenting and adolescent wellbeing are severely lacking, particularly in the Chinese context. Besides, a majority of overparenting studies adopted across-sectional research design, while longitudinal studies are rare. Moreover, according to family systems theory, fathers and mothers are interdependent with each other. One’s parenting standards may influence parenting practice of the spouse. Based on 642 intact families with adolescent children studying in Grades 7 and 8, this study examined the relationship among parenting perfectionism, overparenting and adolescent’s well-being in terms of anxiety, depression and positive developmental outcomes in Chinese families over time. The spousal interdependent associations of parenting perfectionism with overparenting, as well as the mediating roles of paternal and maternal overparenting on the associations of father’s and mother’s parenting perfectionism with adolescent well-being over time were assessed. Results of actor-partner interdependence modelling analyses indicated that mother’s parenting perfectionism was associated with maternal overparenting (i.e., actor effect) and paternal overparenting (i.e., partner effect) over time. Moreover, maternal overparenting mediated the associations of mother’s parenting perfectionism with adolescents’ well-being. The findings are insightful for family scholars and practitioners to reduce parental expectations to themselves and their children, which may adversely affect the well-being of their children.

ABSTRACT. This three-wave longitudinal study with a six-month interval investigated the associations between parental psychological control (PC) on three dimensions (relational induction, social comparison shaming, and harsh control) and adolescent developmental outcomes. Participants comprised 1,309 adolescents (ages 11-16; mean = 13.73 years, SD = 1.17) and their parents (mothers: mean = 39.31 years, SD = 4.95; fathers: mean = 41.83 years, SD = 5.56), who were recruited from three secondary schools in mainland China.

Based on Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPMs), between-family effects are consistent with previous findings. Adolescent-reported and parent-reported PC dimensions were related to negative developmental outcomes, with stronger correlations between harsh control and adolescent prosocial behavior and school engagement in adolescent-reported PC. Within-family analyses revealed that adolescent-reported relational induction predicted more mental health problems and less school engagement over time, and social comparison shaming predicted decreased life satisfaction. However, parent-reported PC on these two dimensions did not show such effects. Nevertheless, parents’ self-reported harsh control predicted less adolescent prosocial behavior while adolescent-reported harsh control did not. Moreover, within-family adolescent effects were observed. Adolescents with more mental health problems or lower life satisfaction tended to perceive higher PC, supporting the depression-distortion hypothesis. Additionally, parents may respond to adolescents’ school disengagement with increased PC practices. Interestingly, a Simpson’s paradox was identified: mother-reported harsh control showed a positive lagged effect on school engagement within families, whereas the between-family correlation indicated a negative relationship between the two.

These findings underscore the comprehensive and differential impacts of various dimensions of parental PC on adolescent outcomes. The distinct within-family effects of individual dimensions may depend on outcome measures and informants, which can help explain previously mixed findings. The results highlight the necessity of considering both between-family and within-family dynamics to fully understand the unique impact of individual PC dimensions.

ABSTRACT. The study explored subjective well-being (SWB) and two levels of personality (traits and values) depending on community population size. Personality traits (NEO-FFI), values – vertical and horizontal individualism or collectivism (H-W-In-Col 20) – and subjective well-being, emotional aspects (Mood Questionnaire) and cognitive index (SWLS, SHS, Ladders of Need Satisfaction) were investigated among 169 Polish adolescents (14-18 years old) living in small towns (n=95) and big cities (n=74). Adolescents from small towns exhibited lower levels of Extraversion compared to their peers from big cities. The results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed the following, Tension was predicted by Neuroticism; Energy was predicted by personality traits and the interaction between community population size and horizontal collectivism (HC) values; the cognitive index was predicted by personality traits, HC and vertical collectivism (VC) values, and the interaction of community population size with horizontal individualism (HI) values. Personality traits predicted SWB dimensions to a higher degree than values; however, relationships between Extraversion and Agreeableness with the cognitive index of SWB were mediated by HC and VC values.

These findings highlight the distinct roles of personality traits, values, and community population size in shaping adolescent well-being and emphasize the importance of considering both individual and contextual factors when studying SWB.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines the impact of individual subjective well-being on consumption expenditures, with a focus on the moderating role of social capital. We hypothesize that individuals with higher social capital tend to spend less overall. Furthermore, we explore whether the type of consumption matters, investigating whether the relationship is stronger for positional or conspicuous consumption. This study is part of the WISER project.

ABSTRACT. This paper investigates the impact of non-economic well-being drivers on the composition of household consumption in Italy, utilizing data from ISTAT's Multipurpose Survey on Households and Household Budget Survey. Seven drivers of well-being were developed, spanning dimensions such as social capital, access to public goods and services, and environmental quality. Our analysis reveals that non-economic indicators significantly influence the allocation of household expenditure. Results highlight a shift from basic to discretionary goods as household income increases, and identify nuanced relationships between well-being dimensions and consumption categories. These findings underscore the importance of integrating non-economic factors into analyses of consumption patterns and policy design aimed at improving quality of life.

ABSTRACT. Two ostensibly paradoxical observations call into question the way we tend to think about wellbeing in the workplace. The first observation is that more and more organizations invest in workplace wellbeing, in part because scientific evidence increasingly supports the idea that high wellbeing is not only beneficial for employees, but also for organisations through, for example, increased productivity and customer satisfaction (Fang et al., 2024). Secondly, however, we can observe a widespread increase in stress, burnout and low job satisfaction, with detrimental consequences for (mental) health and productivity. So, while organisations spend more time and resources on wellbeing than ever, we find only limited benefits (Fleming, 2023). We hypothesize that many wellbeing interventions are partly or wholly ineffective because they do not match employees’ needs; generally aren’t prioritized; and are often too fragmented. Instead, we propose that organizations and scientists need to work together to find sustainable and structural changes towards workplace wellbeing. Moreover, we argue that the framework of a ‘human-centric organisation’ offers some guiding principles for what such a sustainable and holistic approach to workplace wellbeing could look like. A human-centric organisation acknowledges the fundamental needs and characteristics of both its employees and the people which it serves. Using pooled cross-sectional data with almost 30,000 observations of employees from 14 organization over three years, we show that four themes are central to a human-centric organisation, namely purpose, safety, equality and competence, and that such an approach is related to higher wellbeing and engagement.

Burger, MJ., (2024) Happiness and Productivity: A research synthesis Using an online findings archive. Management Reviews Quarterly (forthcoming). Fleming, W. J. (2024). Employee well‐being outcomes from individual‐level mental health interventions: Cross‐sectional evidence from the United Kingdom. Industrial Relations Journal, 55(2), 162-182.

ABSTRACT. Defensive consumption is the amount that people spend to defend themselves against social and environmental degradation. In fact, the economy provides private solutions to compensate for the loss of common goods: when criminality increases, individuals can purchase any kind of good and service to protect themselves; when the air becomes polluted, they can buy air-purifiers. The sum of all individual attempts to protect themselves against the deterioration of public goods by purchasing private goods on the market contributes to economic growth. The depletion of common goods provides business opportunities and the economy thrives from their depletion. This explains why we observe economic growth along with decreasing quality of life (increase pain, loneliness, and decreasing life satisfaction) and environmental and social unsustainability. There is evidence supporting this view. What is missing, however, is how much. Indeed, not much is known about the size of defensive consumption in modern economies. The aim of this paper is to estimate the share of defensive consumption. To do so, we employ a panel fixed effects regression of consumption on a number of environmental and social issues (which we refer to as “bads”), and predict the amount of consumption individuals engage in as a defence against such bads. For example, we consider variables of pollution, global warming, the Gini of inequality and the lack of prosocial behaviours and trust, among others. We employ a sample of around 130 countries worldwide, for a period ranging from 1980 to 2019. Data for the social and environmental bads come from a number of sources, including the World Bank, Survey data Recycling (SDR) dataset, Gallup World Poll and the Standardized World Income Inequality Database, among others. Preliminary results show that the individuals spend, on average, between 500 and 3000 dollars in defending themselves from increases in the considered bads.

ABSTRACT. This paper aims to offer an analysis of the social policies implemented in Romania before and after the 1989 Revolution in order to manage the Roma minority issue. Its main goal is to see whether Romania had a better social integration system put in place in order to address the Roma minority issue during communism or afterwards. Today, the Romani community is dealing with systemic ethnic discrimination that brings about issues like poverty, unemployment and homelessness. The lack of financial resources needed in order to survive in capitalism makes it difficult for low income families to ensure decent living conditions for themselves and their children. Negative attitudes towards the Romani  affect their access to healthcare, counsel, education and accommodation as they become systematically excluded from the social life of the majority and are made into outsiders in their own country. Thus, this study means to show the perspective of the Romani on the issue and how they feel the fall of communism has impacted their community by further exploring certain dimensions of social life in Romania - education, housing and labour dynamics.

ABSTRACT. Background: The global public health emergency caused a huge impact on the quality-of-life of general public, with disparities between countries. As one of the most significant public health crises, COVID-19 has exacerbated existing health-related quality-of-life challenges. The aim of this study is to explore whether there are significant differences of health-related quality-of-life issues during the pandemic between countries by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: The study was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 59 studies were included in systematic scoping review. 34 studies, involving 451,647 participants from 19 countries, qualified for meta-analysis. Results: The differences of COVID-19 caused health-related quality-of-life（anxiety and depression) between countries were mixed. Overall anxiety levels rose and then fell in both very high human development index (HDI) countries and countries with low HDI, as did the total effect size of depression. The anxiety scores only demonstrated a significant difference between the general public in very high and low HDI countries during the first period(one month after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a “Global pandemic”) (Qb(1) = 6.30, p = .01). Furthermore, the depression scores exhibited significant difference between very high HDI and lower HDI countries in both first (Qb(1) = 4.08, p = .04) and second (Qb(1) = 7.33, p = .01) periods. Conclusions: The public health emergency combined with existing inequalities between different countries and regions had lead to health-related quality-of-life inequalities. Depression and anxiety in different time periods were inconsistently significantly associated with country-level differences, with a temporal decay of the associations for both conditions, and an earlier decoupling for anxiety than for depression. Depression as a mental illness is more challenging to control than anxiety as an emotional state.This study provided evidence for alleviating health inequalities.

ABSTRACT. While it is often thought that income inequality harms subjective well-being by exacerbating social disparities and weakening social ties, empirical support for this belief is surprisingly limited. Previous research on the topic has shown inconsistent results. Some studies have found that higher inequality correlates with reduced well-being (Hajdu & Hajdu, 2014; Oishi, Kesebir, & Diener, 2011; Schröder, 2018), whereas others suggested no significant link (Ngamaba, Panagioti, & Armitage, 2018) or even documented higher happiness in less equal countries (Rözer & Kraaykamp, 2013). These disparities may stem from methodological challenges like inadequate controls for unobserved heterogeneity between countries or limited geographical focus. Our study employs an extensive dataset from the Social Data Recycling (SDR) program, which harmonized post-hoc data from 23 international survey projects, 3,329 national surveys. This dataset's broad scope makes it uniquely suitable for analyzing the relationship between income inequality and subjective well-being. Our analysis includes all surveys recording life satisfaction on at least a 7-point scale, encompassing 75 countries, 404 country-years, and nearly 800,000 respondents. By employing multilevel regression, we distinguish the effects of changes in inequality within countries from differences between countries, thereby reducing biases from unobserved heterogeneity. Our findings reveal a significant link between rises in within-country income inequality and decreases in subjective well-being. In contrast, differences in inequality between countries show either no effect or a positive correlation with subjective well-being, depending on model specification. The effect, however, is modest: a 10-point increase in the Gini coefficient corresponds to a 0.3 point drop in average life satisfaction. The variability in outcomes across different surveys highlights the need for broad data analysis and suggests considerable underlying heterogeneity in how income inequality affects well-being.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines trends in life satisfaction across European cities and investigates the relationship between life satisfaction and interpersonal inequalities, measured through life satisfaction inequalities and the Gini coefficient of disposable income. Using micro-data from the Quality of Life in European Cities survey and city-level characteristics, we analyze 83 cities over the period 2012 to 2023. The findings reveal a negative association between interpersonal inequality and life satisfaction at both individual and aggregate levels. This study contributes to the literature on well-being by bridging gaps in understanding the complex interrelationship between inequalities and life satisfaction, particularly within urban contexts.

The paper highlights the significant role of inequalities in shaping subjective well-being, especially in cities, which, despite having better economic conditions than rural areas, experience higher levels of interpersonal inequalities. These inequalities contribute to a sense of exclusion and dissatisfaction, even if absolute living standards are higher. We extend existing research by using both the Gini coefficient and life satisfaction inequality as measures of interpersonal inequality, offering a more nuanced understanding of how inequality impacts well-being within cities. This approach allows us to analyze the dynamics of inequality on both the individual and societal levels, an area previously underexplored.

By using recently available data that spans a longer period and applying robust measures of inequality, the paper offers new insights into the geography of subjective well-being. It provides a detailed examination of how the distribution of economic and social resources in cities influences citizens’ life satisfaction, with important implications for policymakers addressing urban inequalities. The study concludes with suggestions for future research, acknowledging the limitations of the current work while proposing avenues to further investigate the relationship between inequality and well-being in urban settings.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the role of cultural dimensions in shaping the subjective experience of poverty, emphasizing the distinction between poverty as an income-based classification and the lived experience of suffering it entails. While poverty rate comparisons across countries often rely on standardized income thresholds, these measures fail to capture the nuanced ways in which cultural context influences how people experience deprivation. Drawing on Hofstede’s cultural framework, this study investigates how specific cultural traits intervene in the severity of poverty’s impact on well-being. Empirical analysis, encompassing 75 countries, reveals that under equivalent socio-demographic and economic conditions, the experience of poverty is more detrimental in societies characterized by high individualism, large power distance, short-term orientation, and restrained cultural traits. Conversely, poverty is less harmful in collectivistic, low power distance, long-term oriented, and indulgent societies. These findings underscore the importance of considering cultural dimensions in cross-country poverty comparisons, highlighting that the experience of poverty is not universally uniform but shaped by the cultural fabric of each society. Poverty alleviation programs and international aid initiatives should not overlook the cultural differences between countries. By integrating cultural considerations, these programs have the potential to enhance their effectiveness and achieve a more substantial and contextually relevant impact.

ABSTRACT. Are improvements in objective macroeconomic conditions associated with a reduction in self-identifying poor households? Since the turn of the 21st century, the Philippines has consistently seen a growth in real output, a reduction in unemployment rate, and relatively targeted inflation. Whereas policymakers associate these economic conditions with a drop in income (i.e., absolute) poverty, not much has been said about the relationship of these factors with subjective poverty. Fitting time series models on quarterly data from 2005 to 2019 in the Philippines, the paper examines whether overall and sectoral output growth, unemployment, and inflation, explain trends in the incidence of households who self-rate as poor. The paper finds that the key factors driving changes in the incidence of self-rated poverty are inflation and changes in unemployment, but not so much overall or sectoral growth. Broadly, the paper builds on the narrow literature on the macro-level determinants of subjective poverty.

ABSTRACT. This study examines the divergence between subjective and objective poverty in seven Latin American countries—Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay—using household survey data. We estimate subjective poverty lines based on the Minimum Income Question and compare them to official national poverty thresholds. Across all countries, subjective poverty exceeds objective poverty, with significant variation in the extent of overlap. Many individuals with incomes above the official poverty line still perceive themselves as poor, highlighting the limitations of income-based poverty measures. Our findings reveal that unemployment, informal employment, and economic insecurity increase the likelihood of subjective poverty. Larger households, which are more likely to be classified as poor under objective measures, do not always perceive themselves as poor, suggesting greater economies of scale than assumed in standard poverty metrics. In contrast, individuals with higher education often report subjective poverty despite being above the objective poverty line, indicating that expectations and reference groups influence perceptions of economic well-being. On average, subjective poverty lines are 60% higher than official poverty thresholds, aligning with findings from European studies. The gap between the two measures varies by country, with Ecuador showing the largest difference and Peru the smallest. These discrepancies underscore the importance of integrating subjective indicators into poverty assessments. Our study contributes to the understanding of poverty by demonstrating that official poverty measures may underestimate perceived economic hardship. Recognizing subjective poverty can help policymakers design more responsive social policies that address not only income deprivation but also broader concerns related to economic security and well-being.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, sociological, psychological, and epidemiological research has increasingly focused on the interplay between social inequality, status concerns, and the emergence of social problems in affluent capitalist societies. These problems include rising rates of burnout, deteriorating mental health, sleep deprivation, substance abuse, and increasing narcissistic tendencies. A central assumption is that rising competitive pressures create stress, driving individuals to seek even marginal advantages in the status race. However, much of this discourse conflates status anxiety—arising from social interactions and comparisons—with the individual disposition to strive for higher status. Moreover, systematic empirical evidence on the negative consequences of these status concerns remains limited, often relying on primate studies or convenience samples of psychology students. This study addresses these gaps by examining the relationships between status anxiety, status striving, subjective well-being, and well-being-related behaviors. Drawing on data from the Enhance study, a four-wave representative panel survey of the adult population in Germany, we find that both the individual tendency to seek higher status and the situational experience of status anxiety negatively affect subjective well-being, mental health, and physical health. Additionally, status concerns impair well-being-related behaviors, contributing to issues such as social jetlag, maladaptive stress coping strategies, and increased willingness to use prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement. Our analyses show that status anxiety exerts a stronger influence on both well-being evaluations and behaviors compared to status striving. Interaction effects further indicate that the impact of status striving becomes significant only under conditions of heightened status anxiety. These findings underscore the importance of analytically and empirically disentangling status anxiety from status seeking. Societies and institutions such as schools and the workplace can benefit more from fostering cooperative interactions and climates of mutual appreciation, than from discouraging an excessive pursuit of higher status.

ABSTRACT. Analytically, quality of life is a construct that is composed of multiple dimensions of living conditions (Noll 2000). Factors influencing the sub-dimensions of quality of life are highly dependent on the local area and differ due to inner-city segregation, which contributes to the development of different living conditions within a city. Therefore, neighborhoods are a relevant unity to investigate the urban quality of life on the side of physical-material dimensions and of spatially influenced social dimensions such as neighborly relations and local participation. The socially and political discourse on livable cities is complemented by the topic of digitalization. Digital technologies influence the way we live, communicate and perceive and produce spatial relationships in the city (Frank 2022). Various studies point to the potential of digital practices within neighborhoods, such as the accumulation of social capital and the promotion of social cohesion (Üblacker et al. 2024), but also to patterns of disadvantage. It can be assumed that digital practices as a specific form of action between individuals and their socio-spatial environment have an influence on the prevailing local living conditions and thus also on the ability to cope with everyday life, which in turn is reflected in the perceived quality of life. The arising question of "What influence do digital practices within neighborhoods have on the quality of life of residents?" is addressed by a mixed-methods study which compares two segregated neighborhoods in the city of Cologne (Germany). 1. survey of residents on digital practices and subjective perception of the quality of living conditions and 2. In depth qualitative study with photo-voice method to investigate group-specific perceptions of urban quality of life and the role of digital technologies. A neighborhood comparing analysis will be conducted to show patterns of similarity and differentiation between the two different types of urban neighborhoods.

ABSTRACT. Using Cali - Colombia as a case study, we extend knowledge of spatial inequality in people's subjective well-being. In particular, we seek to understand how living in marginalized neighborhoods (with low access to public services and far from the urban periphery) affects perceptions, life satisfaction, and the frequency in which individuals experience negative emotions (worry, depression, anger, stress, and loneliness). This research seeks to contribute a subjective angle to studying the spatial configurations of cities in the global south, to promote well-being policies to improve the conditions where individuals live, and to integrate city inhabitants spatially. The project seeks to contribute to a body of knowledge in Latin America about subjective well-being and how the research produced in this field can improve urban planning and the design/implementation of public policies.

ABSTRACT. Quality of Life (QoL) is a multidimensional concept that encompasses both tangible and intangible aspects of urban residents' daily lives. This study analyses spatial inequalities in quality of life in Warsaw, with access to public services as one of the key factors. The use of spatial data from the Municipal Information System (MSI), dividing the city into administrative sub-districts, enables a detailed analysis of local patterns of inequality and the identification of areas in need of intervention.

The results of the preliminary analyses, carried out using GIS tools, show clear disparities in quality of life between central and peripheral parts of the city. While the inhabitants of the central districts have easier access to a variety of public services, such as education, health care or green spaces, the city's periphery shows a deficit in infrastructure, which significantly reduces the inhabitants' living comfort. The analysis also takes into account other quantitative factors affecting quality of life, such as environmental conditions, transport accessibility or demographic structure.

The aim of the study is to create a synthetic indicator of quality of life at the local level, which will provide a holistic view of the variation in living conditions in Warsaw. The results will provide practical lessons for urban planners and policy makers, pointing to the need for more sustainable urban planning and targeted policy action. The Warsaw case study can also be a valuable reference point for other cities facing the challenges of spatial inequalities and seeking to improve the quality of life of their residents.

ABSTRACT. Public spaces play a fundamental role in shaping the social, cultural, and environmental quality of urban life. They are key places where people interact, build social networks, and engage in everyday activities, thereby influencing both individual well-being and community dynamics. This study examines the case of Almirante Reis Avenue in Lisbon, Portugal, and explores the public's perceptions of recent urban interventions, focusing particularly after the introduction of bicycle lanes. By surveying 140 users of the space and applying theories of quality of life (QoL), perceived residential environmental quality, and human needs, the research identifies key factors that influence satisfaction and perceptions of well-being. The findings show significant differences in user satisfaction across various demographic and spatial groups, with clear implications for urban policy and design. The study contributes to the growing field of urban livability and post-occupancy evaluation (POE), offering valuable insights for future urban planning that aims at improving sustainability, inclusivity, and social cohesion. The results indicate that urban interventions must be carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of all users, ensuring inclusivity and sustainability while enhancing overall quality of life.

ABSTRACT. Practice-based case studies are often overlooked in academic research or programme evaluations, even though they offer rich evidence for policy makers, practitioners and researchers. Their value lies in drawing out the mechanisms and contexts that affect wellbeing outcomes, as well as evidence about implementation in the words of the people who design and deliver them.

This study by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing and the Campaign to End Loneliness uses new qualitative review and synthesis methodology to examine a bank of practice-base case studies from projects funded by a major UK civil society funder, Spirit of 2012. By looking at a cohort of case studies researchers can identify the pathways that lead to wellbeing for different populations and gain a better understanding of the value of this investment in community projects.

The creative projects took place between 2015-2023 and included activities such as music-making, creative writing, dance, and art, aiming to improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness among excluded populations.

By using the case study synthesis methodology, the research identified eight distinct pathways to wellbeing: skilled and supportive facilitation, social environment and contact, exhibiting and performing, learning creative skills, participant empowerment, meaning and escape, feeling challenged, and physical movement. The analysis revealed improvements in participants' wellbeing, as well as enhanced positive mood, increased confidence, personal growth, and reduced loneliness. Quantitative data from selected projects showed improvements across all four ONS4 wellbeing measures.

The study highlights the value of synthesizing practice-based evidence from a programme or cohort of projects to understand complex interventions and their impacts on wellbeing, offering insights for funders and policymakers to support effective creative and community-led activities for improving wellbeing.

ABSTRACT. Performance anxiety is a significant psychological factor influencing athletes' performance across various sports. This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive review of research on performance anxiety in sports, spanning from 1974 to 2024. Utilizing data from the Scopus database, the study examines 794 journal articles to identify core research themes, influential contributors, global collaboration networks, and emerging trends. The analysis reveals an annual growth rate of 8.07% and highlights the dominance of countries like the United States and the United Kingdom in driving research and fostering international collaborations. Key themes include stress, self-confidence, mental health, and performance enhancement, with recent trends focusing on digital interventions, motivational climate, and esports. Highly cited papers and prominent journals underscore the interdisciplinary integration of psychology, physiology, and sports science. The study also maps the thematic evolution of the field, showcasing a shift from foundational constructs to applied interventions and contemporary topics. Findings emphasize the need for greater collaboration with underrepresented regions and exploration of emerging areas such as digital sports and personalized psychological interventions. This review offers valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance understanding and application in performance anxiety and sports.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines how historical conventions, particularly those related to genre, instrumentation, and gender roles, in music education and industry systems constrain the creative development of young female professionals. Education in music has historically focused on the cultivation of conventional aesthetics, contributing to the perpetuation of social inequities and hindering creative development.

In this paper I explore how two young female professionals addressed these challenges and navigated their music careers to achieve critical and international acclaim. The life stories of two female musicians working in two different countries, one specializing in music production and the other in composition, are examined. Using a two-fold qualitative framework, I then develop a post-humanistic model for career navigation and development within the social and professional environments with intersectional inequalities.

Based on the experiences of these musicians, the model offers a framework for fostering professional growth beyond conventional aesthetics. The paper demonstrates that this post-humanistic approach, particularly through the creation of digital and cultural assemblages, is crucial for supporting the well-being of disadvantaged groups in music education and industry ecosystems. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research on equity and sustainability in education and career development.

ABSTRACT. Based on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017), intrinsic life goal pursuits (e.g., personal growth, social contributions, and health management) are related to greater well-being, compared to extrinsic life goal pursuits (e.g., focusing on financial success and image). While previous research supported the SDT preposition, in this study through a sample of athletes, the relation between intrinsic and extrinsic life goals pursuits to meaning in life, through the mediating role of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness was tested. One hundred forty six athletes (ages ranged 15-55; female = 65) filled out the goal contents (Kasser & Ryan, 2000), meaning in life (Steger et al. 2006), and basic needs (Chen et al. 2015). The results showed that putting importance on intrinsic life goals strongly related to need satisfaction and meaning in life, whereas, putting importance on extrinsic life goals moderately related to need satisfaction and meaning in life. Athletes’ age was negatively related to their extrinsic life goal pursuits and need frustration. This study highlighted the benefits of pursuing intrinsic life goals to greater meaning in life in athletes. Practical implication among athletes is discussed.

ABSTRACT. To inform policies aimed at improving the quality of life for people with disabilities – an objective enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) –, there is a need to understand the determining factors of their quality of life. This study seeks to assess the impact of a uniquely comprehensive set of potential determinants, using a tailor-made survey of people with disabilities in the context of Luxembourg – a country that despite its high level of economic wealth is by some accounts lagging behind in terms of progress towards the UNCRPD. Our study utilizes data obtained data from semi-structured interviews with 130 adults experiencing various disabilities, including intellectual, motor or autism spectrum disorders living in residential setting or attending day care services. The data encompasses a range of factors, e.g. socio-economic determinants, social participation, living environment conditions, in addition to various aspects of well-being and quality of life. We employ multiple linear regressions with fixed effects analysis. Quality of life is significantly associated with the needs for support, living environment settings and – if to a lesser extent – with the frequency of contact with the neighbourhood. By contrast, disability functional dimensions, including the type of disability, skills in expression and communication or mobility limitations were not found to significantly influence quality of life. Our findings lend support to the view that in order to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities policymakers should seriously consider focusing on the promotion of greater social participation and independent living.

ABSTRACT. Thinking about people with disabilities and their position in society has changed significantly in recent decades. For example, the pursuit of full citizenship is paramount in terms of policy in order to increase the quality of life of the individual. They focus on empowerment and person-centred support to improve their personal living environment (Schalock et al., 2002). Full citizenship and the promotion of the general quality of life, with increasing attention to participation, inclusion, self-determination and independence are the aim (van Gennep, 1989). From 2009 on, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also came into force, putting forward fundamental personal rights as an important criterion in the daily support of persons with disabilities or disabilities.

In previous exploratory research, the lower subjective well-being of persons with a disability/impairment emerged. Based on The Social Study (wave of December 2024), we can study this more thoroughly. To measure the experience of a disability, we used the set of questions from the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WGDS). This short set of questions allows us to map someone's functioning, based on the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). In terms of subjective well-being, we use the Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment (ACSA) as a self-anchoring rating scale to assess overall subjective well-being (SWB), besides the general life-satisfaction scale. In the survey special attention is paid to the so-called skills/capabilities as self-efficacy, locus of control, optimism, autonomy, connectedness and (perceived) competences. Based on this empirical data, we can analyze the link between subjective well-being and disabilities in detail.

ABSTRACT. On the one hand, women with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face unique challenges due to traditional gender roles and societal expectations. Despite these challenges, recent social policies in the UAE aimed at supporting people with disabilities have significantly improved their life satisfaction. This study explores the determinants of happiness for women with disabilities compared with their men counterparts using data from the 2017 National Survey for Happiness and Positivity. Contrary to expectations, women with disabilities in the UAE have highest happiness scores compared to women without disabilities and men with/without disabilities. Furthermore, both females with and without disabilities consistently over score men with/without disabilities in happiness and life satisfaction levels in the UAE. In line with our assumption of higher females' vulnerability we found that women with disabilities report lower level of satisfaction with their physical health, mental health and their ability to perform daily life activities as well as they declare a bit higher anxiety level than men with disabilities. However, the scores' differences are not that big. At the same time, women with disabilities report higher levels of satisfaction with the health care facilities and social connections. These findings suggest that the UAE’s inclusive policies and redesignation of people with disabilities as “people of determination” may contribute to these high happiness levels. The study highlights the importance of tailored social policies and programs aimed at addressing the specific needs of women with disabilities, emphasizing their social and healthcare support, and suggesting that continued efforts in this area are yielding positive outcomes. These results provide valuable insights for policymakers to further enhance the wellbeing of women with disabilities, ensuring their full inclusion and empowerment in society

ABSTRACT. AI-based assistive technologies have recently opened up new opportunities for people with disabilities to make independent decisions and take control of their lives. Technologies such as speech and image recognition, text prediction, adaptive interfaces, various smart assistive devices, and AI-powered tools/applications have the potential to help persons with disabilities move more easily, communicate more fluently, and integrate better into their communities. New opportunities are thus created to enhance users’ autonomy, accessibility and inclusion, and ultimately well-being. At the same time, the deployment of AI-driven assistive systems raises critical concerns regarding data security and privacy, algorithmic bias, liability matters, the digital divide, and technology affordability. It is essential to question whether these innovations can help reduce social and economic disparities or if they risk creating new forms of exclusion, particularly due to costs and the lack of digital infrastructure. Furthermore, individual differences in cognitive abilities, mental health conditions, and trust in AI-based assistive solutions must be considered to ensure equitable access and usability. In the current work we adopt a system dynamics approach to explore and model the complex interplay between AI-based assistive technologies, individual autonomy, and the well-being of persons with disabilities on the basis of the interdisciplinary literature. Building on insights from human-computer interaction (HCI), cognitive science, disability studies and (AI) ethics, we analyze among others the impact of cognitive and mental conditions on the adoption and usability of AI-assisted solutions in selected fields, such as mobility. The resulting causal loop model will incorporate findings from interdisciplinary fields. We map key feedback loops and hypothesized relationships within the system, integrating technological capabilities, user-related factors, and socioeconomic influences. The model shall provide a deeper understanding of how AI-based assistive technologies can enhance autonomy and well-being, while identifying barriers to their adoption and effectiveness across different contexts.

ABSTRACT. Background: Character strength (CS) plays a critical role in fostering positive development and serves as an intervention strategy for enhancing well-being. One of the key conceptualizations of CS is its malleability. However, prior research has predominantly focused on the impact of crises (e.g., COVID-19) on changes in CS, with limited attention given to the influence of social contexts, such as family dynamics, on CS development. This study aims to examine the effect of family cohesion on CS and their joint impact on medical students' life satisfaction (LS).

Method: A total of 349 medical students (mean age = 20.41) from a public medical university in Northern Taiwan participated in this study. Data were collected through surveys conducted between 2022 and 2023. Character strengths were measured using the Mandarin VIA-120, while family cohesion was assessed with a four-item short scale (α = .85). Diener et al.'s Satisfaction with Life Scale (α = .85) was employed to capture LS. Several covariates, including family socioeconomic status (SES) and gender, were also included. Hayes' Process Model (M4) in SPSS was used for data analysis.

Results: The findings revealed that medical students from more cohesive families reported higher mean levels of CS (mean of top five CS [β = .20, p < .05]). Both family cohesion (β = .28, p < .05) and CS (β = .95, p < .05) were significantly associated with LS. Furthermore, a significant indirect effect through bootstrapping (5000 draws) was observed (β = .20; 95% C.I.: .10, .47).

Conclusion: This study highlights the role of cohesive family environments in fostering the development of CS. Moreover, cohesive families may enhance LS both directly and indirectly through CS. These findings underscore the importance of family cohesion as a social context for promoting well-being and positive development.

ABSTRACT. The COVID-19 pandemic has produced increases in mental distress, correlated with fear about the future, economic outlook, labor market situation, restriction of individual freedom and behavioral changes. While some of these are associated with the perceived risk of infection, others are linked to the restrictive measures imposed to limit infections. Whatever the reason behind it, the main question to be asked is whether transitory or habitual anxiety levels are affected and, eventually, whether changes in daily life habits could play a role. To answer this question, a survey was administered to thousands of students from three Italian universities. The survey included a psychological test, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, through which it is possible to observe whether the effects of changes in daily life habits impact on transitory (State) and/or habitual (Trait) levels of anxiety. First, the results show that individuals who are habitually characterized by higher levels of anxiety tend to suffer higher increases in transitory anxiety during the pandemic, and that being a woman is associated with increases in both habitual and current anxiety. Furthermore, physical activity, book reading and self-care practices seem to mitigate the increase in anxiety led by the pandemic. While the first and the last have an impact on habitual and current anxiety levels, book reading is only associated with reductions in current anxiety. Finally, increased use of social networks is associated with greater state anxiety levels, while intensive exposure to videogames and movies amplifies trait anxiety.

ABSTRACT. Stress among students in higher education is a widespread and significant issue, often stemming from academic pressures, financial challenges, and the transition to independent living. The rigorous demands of coursework, deadlines, and examinations can create overwhelming feelings of anxiety, particularly for students striving to meet high expectations or balance multiple responsibilities (Robotham & Julian, 2006). Additionally, stress in higher education significantly impacts students' socio-emotional, psychological, and physical health, often leading to long-term consequences (Sharp & Theiler, 2018). Socio-emotionally, chronic stress can impair students’ ability to form and maintain meaningful relationships. High-stress levels often result in withdrawal from social activities, decreased motivation, and feelings of isolation, making it harder for students to build supportive networks. Stress can also lead to emotional instability, causing mood swings, irritability, and frustration, which may strain peer and familial relationships. Psychologically, the impact of stress manifests in heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. Students often experience impaired cognitive functioning, such as difficulty concentrating, decision-making problems, and memory lapses, which can further hinder academic performance. Physically, the toll of stress is equally concerning as it can weaken the immune system, making students more susceptible to illnesses. It may lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as overeating, or neglecting physical activity. To address this, many higher education institutions have called attention to prioritizing student well-being. However, well-being should not be confined to institutional programs alone; it needs to be deeply embedded in educators’ core instructional practices and their everyday interactions with students. For well-being to be effectively practiced, it must seamlessly integrate into academic engagement, becoming a natural and essential component of the learning process. This presentation aims to illuminate the core principles of well-being in higher education and offer actionable strategies that educators can adopt to enhance student well-being during academic and educational interactions.

ABSTRACT. The Student Mind Counseling Service, Student Wellbeing and Career Opportunities Section of Student Development Division of Kasetsart University focuses on promoting student well-being, aiming for a balanced and happy life. In 2022, many students sought information about rest and recreation spots on campus, leading to the "KU Happy Guide" activity. This activity introduced students to places that promote mental well-being, offering relaxation, new friendships, and stress relief through real-life experiences.

The objectives of this program include: 1) Introducing students to places that enhance mental health and happiness, 2) Encouraging interactions between students from different faculties, 3) Students know ways to relieve stress and prepare their mind for studying in Kasetsart University, and 4) Providing information about KU Happy Place Center’s services. The activity was carried out using the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model. Planning involved identifying and analyzing problems. The program included staff-led activities with interns participating and learning. Evaluation followed, focusing on duration, routes, and weather, and improvements were made accordingly.

From 2022 to 2024, the program had 570 participants, with 8 rounds held in both 2022 and 2023, and 16 rounds in 2024. Each round lasted 1.5 hours. Satisfaction scores for 2024 scores were in high level, with students reporting greater awareness of happiness-promoting places (4.82), learning stress-relief techniques (4.63), applying information in daily life (4.64), and overall satisfaction (4.76). Satisfaction levels increased from 2023. Additionally, qualitative data from the satisfaction survey responses was analyzed to support the continuous development of the program.

This collaboration involved the KU Happy Place Center staff and psychology interns from Kasetsart University and other university. “KU Happy Guide” earned the "Student Well-being Outstanding Award" at the 2024 Student Development Academic Seminar organized by Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation.

ABSTRACT. How has human well-being evolved over the last two centuries, and what does this reveal about the challenges we face today? Historical investigations into well-being as an independent objective remain scarce. Analyses of social progress have traditionally centred on the economic development of nations, often presuming that economic growth and improvements in well-being are inherently linked. However, critical issues such as the multidimensional nature of human well-being, societal inequalities, and the environmental trade-offs of growth are frequently overlooked.

This study examines the evolution of well-being from 1820 to 2022 using a combination of quantitative data and qualitative sources. Well-being is assessed using a broad set of indicators, encompassing a variety of themes including health, education, material living standards, and safety. Particular attention goes to the distribution of well-being within and between regions and environmental sustainability. To enhance our understanding of these developments, well-being outcomes are linked to six contextual factors: economy, technology, globalization, demography, nature, and institutions.

Our findings reveal that, despite substantial global improvements in human well-being, developments have been accompanied by massive global and within-country inequalities and ecological degradation. In recent decades, these tendencies are unfolding at an accelerated speed. Democracy is in decline, (geo)political tensions are rising, and planetary pressures have intensified to a level that threatens a safe living space on an unprecedented scale. Systemic change in how we govern our societies and economic systems has become an existential imperative to protect the well-being of both current and future generations.

ABSTRACT. A science of wellbeing must be normative for at least reasons. First, science is always grounded in a perspective, and can therefore not be strictly objective. One demonstration comes from the notion of empirical underdetermination, which shows that no empirical evidence is sufficient to determine whether a hypothesis is correct. It is the background beliefs we hold about the relation between empirical facts and theoretical statement that makes observations evidential for a hypothesis. Second, scientists have the same moral duties as the general population, and these responsibilities include respecting human rights and the “do-no-harm” commitment. Hence, a theory of wellbeing that ignores universal moral commitments and, for example, promotes wellbeing despite the possible immoral consequences positive feelings or life satisfaction may have, is not sustainable. Third, terms such as happiness, a good life, or wellbeing are so-called dual-character concepts, which means that they entail both descriptive and normative qualities. It does not make sense to say that a good life is bad for you. On these grounds, the recent Humanistic theory wellbeing (HTW; Vittersø, 2025) suggests that being well means to like one’s life for the right reasons. In this scheme, a life is liked if it feels good and is thought of as good by the person who lives it. Liking is further conceived to be an integrated part of the regulation of three human needs: the need for stability, the need for change, and the need to and fore care. The right reason implies that liking one’s life is not a justified indicator of wellbeing if it violates a few, universal, humanistic values. Three values are particularly important: respecting basic human rights, avoiding preventable harm, and accepting an ethics of care. Implications of these proposals will be discussed.

ABSTRACT. Happiness and life satisfaction have since long become a broad research topic addressed by many disciplines. There are numerous empirical findings, some of them converge, but many are also contradictory, regarding the causes of happiness and its variations in international comparison. A main reason for the inconsistencies is the fact that research is lacking a consistent theoretical frame of reference. This shortcoming is due not least to the fuzziness of the terms happiness, luck and life satisfaction. This essay argues that a significant gain in clarity can be achieved by distinguishing between different types of happiness. Such a distinction can start from Max Weber's basic concepts of social action. It can be shown that his four basic types of action are each associated with specific forms of happiness: Habitual action (Gewohnheitshandeln) produces satisfaction, purposive action (zweckrationales Handeln) leads to gratification, emotional action (affektuelles Handeln) to happiness, and value-rational action (wertrationales Handeln) to an awareness of the fulfilment of life. The relationships between types of action and forms of happiness are worked out in detail. The time aspect of experiences of happiness is also important here. The essay concludes with an outlook on new methodological requirements, research questions and policy implications that arise from this conceptual differentiation. The paper draws on earlier, widely recognized papers of the author. (This paper extends two earlier papers of the author: „Happiness as an Expression of Freedom and Self-determination” (2004), and »How Social Relations and Structures can Produce Life Satisfaction and Happiness«, Social Indicators Research 75/ 2006 (both published with Markus Hadler).

ABSTRACT. The Capability Approach (CA) is a normative framework focusing on individual capabilities (freedoms and opportunities to lead a valued life) and functionings (realized capabilities manifesting in states of being and doing). Agency (the ability to make choices and shape one’s life) is central. The CA evaluates equity by ensuring individuals receive resources, utilized via conversion factors, needed for fulfilling lives. Disability is conceptualized as a limitation of capabilities or functionings due to restricted opportunities. In contrast, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) measures disability based on impairments and activity limitations caused by health conditions. A key criticism of the ICF is its lack of consideration for resources and agency, which are essential to the lived experience of disability (Bickenbach, 2014; Mitra, 2014). This study examines conceptual overlaps between CA and ICF. CA concepts were analyzed through a literature review and mapped to ICF categories using European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) variables. The mapping evaluated whether and how CA concepts align with ICF categories (body functions, activities, participation, environmental/personal factors). The current, non-finalized operationalization suggest, that ICF categories like body functions & structures overlap with CA’s functionings (beings), while activities correspond to functionings (doings). Participation reflects capabilities, while environmental and personal factors align with conversion factors. However, critical CA concepts such as agency and resources lack equivalents in the ICF framework, confirming literature-based claims. Integrating CA’s normative perspectives into the ICF could emphasize agency, resources, and a holistic focus on well-being. Future research will evaluate how agency and resources can be statistically modeled within the ICF categories to enhance its utility and promote patient-centered care.

References Bickenbach, J. (2014). Reconciling the capability approach and the ICF. Alter, 8(1), 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alter.2013.08.003 Mitra, S. (2014). Reconciling the capability approach and the ICF: A response. Alter, 8(1), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alter.2013.11.005

ABSTRACT. One of the most systematic findings from past studies on subjective wellbeing was that post-communist societies scored strikingly low on SWB. However, 35 years have passed since the communist regimes collapsed in the CEE countries. It is plausible to expect that the happiness gap has closed, particularly for those CEE countries that joined the European Union. Yet, the existing empirical evidence on the East-West wellbeing gap is far from clear. The plethora of studies focused on the first 10 to 15 years of transition. These studies conclusively demonstrated that the first phase of the transition was linked to very low wellbeing in the East. Even though the happiness gap narrowed over time it did not disappeared in the first two decades. Analysis of data from the period after 2010 are rare and do not provide a clear picture. This paper brings three contributions to the existing literature. First, we focus on the later period when the main transition processes were concluded (2012 – 2023). Second, we pay attention to the heterogeneity of both post-communist countries and “old” EU-countries as we analyse data for five country blocks: Western Europe, Southern Europe, Northern Europe, Central European post-communist countries, and Baltic countries. Third, we analyse large datasets from the EU-SILC data with more than 400,000 respondents. The EU-SILC data provide strong evidence for convergence between the East and West. The results are driven by the increasing life satisfaction in the East and declining wellbeing in the West. Importantly, the Central European post-communist countries show higher wellbeing than West European countries. The Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition suggest that the convergence between Western Europe and Baltic states is driven primarily by economic factors while the convergence between Western Europe and Central Europe is driven by changes in economic factors and interpersonal trust.

ABSTRACT. In the new millennium, successive economic crises and rising economic inequality have placed considerable strain on European societies. It is widely believed that these trends have negatively affected the distribution of people's subjective well-being (SWB), increasing its inequality and polarization. Based on life satisfaction data for 27 countries from ten waves of the European Social Survey (2002–2024), this paper investigates whether life satisfaction has indeed become more polarized, both across entire populations (“overall polarization”) and between income groups (“group polarization”). To this end, we employ specialized inequality measures for ordinal variables, aggregate them at the country level, and conduct a time series analysis to examine the determinants and dynamics of polarization. Our findings indicate a declining polarization of life satisfaction within populations in almost all countries, driven by rising prosperity, falling unemployment, and growing social trust. Changes in income inequality and inflation appear to have no significant impact. However, we observe increasing group polarization in life satisfaction between income groups in most countries, albeit without a clear explanatory pattern. The article concludes with an evaluation of growing group polarization from egalitarian and utilitarian perspectives.

ABSTRACT. We look at the relationships between subjective wellbeing, risk, safety and resilience using the Lloyds Register Foundation World Risk Poll, the World Risk Poll Resilience Index and Gallup World Poll. We will present exploratory analysis of global and regional life evaluation, subjective wellbeing and social capital measures in the World Poll and their risk and resilience profiles in the Lloyds Register Foundation World Risk Poll and Resilience Index. We expect to look in depth at key maritime transition economies in South East Asia, East Asia, East & West Africa and South America.

The aim is to look further at the - The role of risks in life evaluations. - What makes people feel safe and how this influences wellbeing.

Using this exploratory analysis we aim to establish: - How do perceptions of risk (e.g., economic, health, environmental) influence life evaluations and subjective wellbeing across countries? - To what extent do nations’ abilities to mitigate risks predict sustained levels of subjective wellbeing among their populations? - Are individuals in countries with high perceived risks but strong resilience measures better able to maintain happiness and life satisfaction? - How do feelings of safety influence other dimensions of subjective wellbeing, such as happiness and eudaimonic wellbeing? - What is the relationship between feeling safe and experiencing harm, and how does it vary across regions and demographics?

ABSTRACT. Economic, political, and social-cultural conditions have a major impact on how people in different countries assess long-term quality of life and which future scenarios they consider probable and desirable. The main questions in the Hope Barometer survey in 2024 were: How do people in poorer and conflict-ridden countries view the future? Are they more hopeless than people in richer countries? Or is it the other way round? The study focusses on results from countries in Europe (Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia) and other regions of the world (Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, India, Japan and Nigeria). The participants (N=5378) were transported into the year 2044 and were asked about their assessments of the future quality of life and various future scenarios. People in poorer countries tend to believe that the quality of life will improve slightly over the next 20 years. In the richer countries, on the other hand, a majority of people are convinced that the general quality of life will be worse than today. Furthermore, in all countries, most people consider future crises worldwide to be more likely than a flourishing future. However, people in Israel, India, Romania, Portugal and Palestine are less pessimistic but also more ambivalent, as they consider both scenarios to be possible. Regarding the desirable future, there is a marked difference between European countries and countries outside Europe. In all countries, most respondents favor the sustainable scenario over the economic scenario. However, people in poorer countries and regions such as Palestine, Jordan and Egypt consider economic and technological progress to be almost as desirable as environmental sustainability and social cohesion. These results are a result of the different economic and cultural realities, needs and attitudes of people in different regions of the world and an expression of collective hope.

ABSTRACT. The measurement of equitable and sustainable well-being is conducted by Istat at national and local level. The BesT (where Bes refers to the Italian word for well-being and T stands for territories) is a system of 70 indicators at NUTS3 territorial level, useful to analyse strong sub-regional specificities and covering all Bes domains except for subjective measures (due to the lack of reliable data at sub-regional level). To fill this gap, in 2022 Istat started the experimental data collection of such information in the Permanent Population and Housing Census (PPHC). Launched in 2018 to replace the decennial census, the PPHC is based on the combined use of statistical registers and two sample surveys (Area survey and List survey), conducted yearly to assess registers’ quality and complete them (i.e. to collect data for missing variables). Out of almost 8000 municipalities, about 2,530 are surveyed every year (according to a rotation scheme) in the List survey, for about 1,000,000 households. This strategy allows the yearly dissemination of detailed census-type data and (provided that the burden on respondents is not increased too much) enables the census to be more reactive to new users’ needs, as it was the case for well-being measures, first included in the questionnaire in 2022. Namely, a set of questions were added related to Social Relationships (relatives, friends and neighbours to rely on), Safety (Perception of safety walking alone in the dark and Perception of crime risk) and Subjective Well-being (Life satisfaction). The results of the preliminary analysis conducted on the 2022 wave data will be presented, with a focus on the 14 Italian Metropolitan cities and the respective capital cities. Specificities for population groups identified by breakdowns not allowed by the size of other household sample surveys (e.g. by age or citizenship) will also be analysed.

ABSTRACT. Within international communities, a common goal is to enhance the well-being and quality of life of individuals and the collective society. However, to do so, residents must work collaboratively to explore and address issues negatively impacting their society. Globally, this includes addressing wicked societal problems such as gun and intimate partner violence (IPV). While a worldwide issue, these concepts are presented within a southern community in the United States. Viewed nationally as relatively safe community, residents saw an uptick in both gun and intimate partner violence and decided to take proactive measures. As such, a group civic and community leaders took action. However, they did not fully understand the experiences and perspectives of the community at large. As such, they engaged a multidisciplinary team of researchers to conduct a two-phase, mixed methods study - evaluating the status of community violence, both perceived and directly experienced. More specifically, the study focused on garnering the perspectives of community stakeholders - perpetrators of gun violence and IPV, victims and survivors of gun violence and IPV, undeserved community members, at-large community members, service providers and criminal justice professionals. Results from our collaborative community research indicated that current efforts to address youth and young adult gun violence have been exceedingly effective, reducing shootings and homicides by 60% in two years. This phenomenon was accomplished through building solidarity, capacity and agency through government, university and community initiatives. However, IPV seemed to be much more evasive and prominent throughout all facets of community. Labeled the invisible menace, IPV seemed to be everywhere. Due to its societal and definitional ambiguity, community participants had difficulty identifying experiences and quantifying them within the community. Researchers will discuss the trials, tribulations and insights gleaned from an extensively engaged community study, providing a foundation to enhance community well-being and diminish violence.

ABSTRACT. Aging migrants who relocate from urban to rural areas face distinct challenges that impact their Community Quality of Life (CQOL), including limited healthcare access, social isolation, and gaps in aging care services. Identifying these barriers and understanding their lived experiences are essential for designing community-responsive interventions. This study aims to explore the key CQOL indicators for aging migrant populations in rural areas and identify common challenges, strategies, and gaps in care through a qualitative approach. A systematic literature review will be conducted to synthesize existing research on CQOL, aging migrants, and rural aging care. Additionally, qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with rural healthcare providers, social service providers, and community leaders. Thematic analysis will be used to identify patterns and insights related to healthcare access, social integration, and community support. Findings will provide a deeper understanding of the structural and social factors affecting CQOL among aging migrants in rural areas. The study will inform the development of targeted interventions and policy recommendations to improve well-being and equity in aging care. By integrating a literature review and qualitative research methods, this study will generate critical insights into the needs of aging migrants, ensuring that rural communities can better support this vulnerable population.