Models of Wellbeing

• Positive psychology


  A field of psychology focused on well-being and happiness
• Subjective well-being (SWB)


  Refers to how people experience and evaluate different aspects of their lives
• Subjective well-being is often used to measure mental health and happiness
• Subjective well-being can be an important predictor of individual health, wellness, and longevity
• Model of subjective well-being

  Developed by Ed Diener in 1984
• Components of subjective well-being

  • Affective components (positive and negative emotions)
  • Cognitive component (life satisfaction)
• Positive affect


  Experiencing positive emotions and moods on a frequent basis
• Negative affect


  Experiencing negative feelings or moods often
• Life satisfaction


  The overall equilibrium/balance between positive and negative affect
• Individuals are said to have high SWB if they experience life satisfaction and frequent positive affect
• Individuals are said to have low SWB if they are dissatisfied with life and frequently feel negative emotions
• Affective balance


  The overall equilibrium between positive and negative affect
• Hedonic balance


  The overall equilibrium between positive and negative affect
• Experiencing negative emotions can impact lasting happiness
• Measures of evaluative well-being capture judgements of overall life satisfaction or fulfilment
• Gathering data utilises a longitudinal study design
• Consistent associations are found between SWB and cardiovascular functioning

  Related to health, cardiovascular events, and mortality
• Psychological well-being


  Defined by the six-factor model (Ryff, 1989)
• Six core dimensions of psychological well-being

  • Self-acceptance
  • Positive relations with others
  • Autonomy
  • Environmental mastery
  • Purpose in life
  • Personal growth
• Self-acceptance


  Positive attitude towards oneself, acknowledgment of multiple aspects of self
• Positive relations with others


  Warm, satisfying, trusting relationships with others
• Autonomy


  Self-determination and independence
• Environmental mastery


  Sense of mastery and competence in one's environment
• Purpose in life


  The possession of goals and a sense of direction
• Personal growth


  Feelings of continued development and openness to new experiences
• Psychological well-being is attained by achieving a state of balance affected by both challenging and rewarding life events
• The most commonly used version of the Psychological Wellbeing scales comprises 42 items
• Ryff's original paper revealed that the six scales exhibit acceptable internal consistency in terms of validity
• Test-retest reliability remains fairly consistent over time
• Ryff's scales are scientifically validated
• Ryff's scales can aid colleges and universities in understanding students' psychological well-being
• Positive psychology interventions can help clients with stress, anxiety, and depression
• Strategies for positive psychology interventions

  • Bring purpose and meaning to life
  • Self-compassion
  • Understanding behaviour, feelings, and thoughts interlink
  • Therapies include wellbeing therapy, mindfulness programs, meditation, life coaching, cognitive behavioural therapy, resilience training, physiological intervention
• Carol Ryff has conceptualised psychological well-being as consisting of 6 dimensions:

  S. Self-acceptance

  P. Purpose in life

  A. Autonomy

  P. Positive relations with others

  E. Environmental mastery

  P. Personal growth
• Environmental Mastery refers to having control over your environment and being able to achieve goals within it.
• Autonomy is the ability to make choices that align with one’s values and beliefs.
• Personal Growth involves developing new skills and knowledge through learning experiences.
• Purpose in Life refers to having a sense of direction or goal in life.
• Positive Relations with Others involves having close relationships that are supportive and fulfilling.
• Autonomy is the freedom to make choices about how we live our lives without interference from external factors or people.