International Journal of Wellbeing

Getting outside of ourselves: Towards an other-oriented model of psychological health

Evelyn Rosset, Claire El-Jor, Ilios Kotsou, Rébecca Shankland — Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

This paper examines key assumptions about the benefits of self-oriented care and other-oriented care that have been guiding considerable amounts of research and applications in psychology. More specifically, the paper questions the importance of what can be referred to as the ‘Oxygen Mask Assumption,’ the belief that it is often best to take care of oneself to better take care of others. Based on mounting evidence of the benefits of prosocial behaviour, both for the giver and the receiver, this paper proposes an explicitly other-oriented model of wellbeing. The paper first outlines the Oxygen Mask Assumption and research demonstrating the importance of self-oriented care and the implicit model guiding much of this research. This is followed by examining recent research on the benefits of prosocial behaviour, and the introduction of an other-oriented model of wellbeing. Predictions based on both models are evaluated in light of current research. Theoretical and practical implications of adopting an other-oriented model are discussed.

Development of wellbeing among school learners through positive pedagogy

Darshita Pant, Anita Rastogi — Sun, 19 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Keeping in view the growing psychological concerns among young children, the educational community is now recognizing the value of positive psychology in helping children learn, capitalize on their strengths, increase resilience, and prepare them for life. Positive education, as an applied area of positive psychology, tries to achieve these goals while providing a joint venture for collaboration among the various stakeholders in school education. The present paper is analytical in nature and focuses on the concept of positive pedagogy and its delineation in the existing literature. It also introduces the idea of integrating two well-known models (the PERMA model of wellbeing and the 5E model of experiential learning) with Brookfield's reflective practice model in order to impart wellbeing-rich content in the classroom. This integration aligns with the fundamentals of positive pedagogy and offers a systematic approach to integrating it into the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, the identification of distinct positive psychological interventions used by various positive education programs throughout the world has shed light on positive pedagogy. By taking into account the current status and associated challenges with the idea of positive pedagogy, several suggestions that may guide future advancements in the field of positive education and, more specifically, in positive pedagogy have been made in the article.

The well-being benefits of virtual art galleries: Examining the roles of emotion, immersion, and individual differences

Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

A wealth of research suggests that engaging with visual art and visiting art museums is beneficial to flourishing; however, less is known about the potential benefits of digital forms of engagement. An emerging literature provides preliminary evidence of the benefits of digital art engagement, but additional research on mechanisms and potential moderators of the benefits is necessary. The present study examines the impacts of repeated visitation to a virtual art gallery to address three questions: 1) Do well-being, emotion, and immersion differ between those in a digital art gallery versus those reading about art?; 2) Do personality and interest in art influence virtual art gallery visit qualities (i.e., emotion and immersion)?; and 3) Do visit qualities and individual differences predict well-being? A sample of 890 U.S. adults was recruited from Prolific. The findings suggest that: 1) People in a virtual gallery show greater well-being, immersion, and aesthetic emotion than those reading about art; 2) Openness to experience is most strongly linked with visit qualities; and 3) Immersion, positive and aesthetic emotion, extraversion, and neuroticism are associated with well-being. This work suggests that repeated engagement with art in a digital format has benefits and that future research should continue to examine the underlying mechanisms and ways digital art experiences can be best designed to be effective well-being interventions.

A qualitative exploration of how extended paternity leave can promote fathers’ psychological wellbeing

Jessica Hobbs — Thu, 16 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

The perinatal period is known to be a vulnerable time for parents’ mental health and wellbeing. Research about fathers’ health during this time is in its infancy and has focused predominantly on mental health problems. Much less is known about how fathers experience their own wellbeing or what can help their lives (and consequently the lives of their family) to go well during the significant event of having a baby. Early research suggests that allowing fathers to take a longer period of paternity leave could help to promote their wellbeing. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the experiences of some of the first fathers to take extended paternity leave following the UK’s introduction of its new Shared Parental Leave policy in 2015. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen fathers from around the UK who were employed in a variety of industries. The sample included both first-time fathers and those extending their family. Template Analysis was initially used to systematically analyse the data. The overarching conclusion was that the wellbeing of these fathers appeared to flourish during a major life event that has a known association with mental health problems for many fathers. To seek an explanation for this, the findings were interpreted using a novel approach based on the theoretical framework of Ryff’s (1989) six aspects of psychological wellbeing. A conceptual model is therefore proposed that suggests extended paternity leave can promote fathers’ psychological wellbeing by allowing them a rare and valuable opportunity for self-reflection, personal growth, development of parental mastery, and to support the wellbeing of their family. This qualitative exploration contributes a deep understanding of the nature of these fathers’ individual experiences of their own psychological wellbeing. The potential of extended paternity leave for promoting the wellbeing of fathers and their families during the critical postnatal period signals that there may be value in researching the relationship between paternal leave and wellbeing further.

Is the fulfilment of objective wellbeing reflected in subjective wellbeing? A case study of vulnerable communities in Volta Delta, Ghana

Laurence Cannings, Craig Hutton, Alessandro Sorichetta, Kristine Nilsen — Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

There is growing interest in the measurement and conceptualisation of wellbeing due to its increasing importance within policy outcomes; however, the understanding of how different wellbeing outcomes associate within sustainability research is limited. This paper uses household survey data from the vulnerable Volta Delta, South Ghana, as a case study to illustrate the different philosophical approaches and measures of wellbeing, and the potential impact upon policy interventions. The frequent use of objective wellbeing measures, such as monetary poverty, within development policy is challenged as to whether it sufficiently reflects overall wellbeing. For example, objective monetary measures may not incorporate the intangible components of wellbeing, which can alternatively be captured within individuals’ self-evaluated, subjective wellbeing.

This study first outlines the conceptual and methodological choices required when measuring wellbeing, before drawing on ideas of objective and subjective wellbeing to examine whether these concepts from different disciplines align or oppose one another. Contrasting theories within the literature justify this focus. By testing for associations between objective and subjective wellbeing outcomes, this study highlights how the methodological and conceptual choices made when measuring wellbeing can result in differing conclusions. Despite statistically significant associations being found amongst some wellbeing measures, results which show opposing outcomes highlight how subjective and objective wellbeing are not entirely interchangeable. Our study concludes there is a benefit to incorporating both objective and subjective measures in research and development targets across multiple scales to more-comprehensibly capture, and improve our understanding of, human wellbeing in vulnerable locations.

What’s the difference between measures of wellbeing, quality of life, resilience, and coping? An umbrella review and concept map of 155 measures of positive mental health

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700

The multitude of definitions, models, and measures of positive mental health has hindered academic precision and therefore the ongoing scientific evolution of this important area. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the theoretical landscape of positive mental health, by reviewing measures that were designed to capture overarching, multi-dimensional concepts of positive and adaptive states of mental health (i.e., wellbeing, quality of life, and resilience/coping), and interrogating their underlying dimensions (e.g., vitality, autonomy) and design features (e.g., response scales, item valence). Our search identified 155 measures of positive mental health with a total of 410 constituent dimensions. Using thematic analysis, we consolidated these 410 original dimensions into a set of 21 themes. These themes were transformed into a concept map to illustrate their inter-relationship with the overarching concepts of positive mental health as identified in this review. Our results point to a lack of consensus on the underlying dimensions and measurement approaches for investigating positive mental health, with singular measures failing to capture its breadth, resulting in an unwieldy situation for ongoing scientific inquiry.

Public significance statement: In the absence of consensus on definitions or models of positive and adaptive states of mental health, an unwieldy, and untenable number of measures have been created - many devoid of a clear conceptual framework. The current review summarizes the measurement landscape of positive mental health and presents a preliminary synthesis of 410 dimensions scientists claim to capture this elusive construct. The current review can help inform future measurement and theory development and further guide researchers toward precise, replicable, durable mental health research.