Subjective Well-being Outcomes Research Articles

Personality, Positivity and Happiness: A Mediation Analysis Using a Bifactor Model

Recent studies suggested an important role of neuroticism and extraversion facets as incremental predictors of subjective well-being outcomes. Research has shown that positive cognitions mediated the relation between personality traits and well-being. The present study examined the relationship between neuroticism and extraversion, measured as general and group factors, and subjective happiness through a general positivity factor. 770 community participants (69.4 % females; M = 55.34; SD = 16.01) completed personality, satisfaction with life, optimism, self-esteem, and subjective happiness scales. A bifactor model was used to parse general and specific variance components for multifaceted constructs. The general positivity factor completely mediated neuroticism-subjective happiness relationships and overlapped with general neuroticism, whilst it partially mediated extraversion-subjective happiness ones. Other paths to happiness involved cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Assertiveness, activity level and excitement-seeking had a weak relationship with subjective happiness and only through positivity. Gregariousness and friendliness had neither direct nor indirect effects on subjective happiness. Life satisfaction had a twofold role as a component of positivity as well as providing an independent contribution to variance in subjective happiness. In keeping with previous research, neuroticism acted as a sort of general negativity factor. Cheerfulness and extraversion made an incremental contribution to variance in subjective happiness. Our findings support the utility of a multifaceted approach to study pathways from personality to well-being. Theoretical and practical implications for promoting well-being were discussed.

Attitudes Toward Dreaming Predict Subjective Well-Being Outcomes Mediated Through Emotional Positivity Bias

The current study examined how attitudes toward dreams, as well as an appraisal of typical emotions experienced in dreams, predicted greater subjective well-being. Participants completed a measure of attitude and beliefs about dreams, and appraised their positive and negative dream affect in an average dream. Additionally, participants completed measures of typical daily affect (positive and negative) along with life satisfaction, as measures of subjective well-being. Results showed that having a positive attitude toward dreams was associated with life satisfaction and positive waking affect, and that these associations were fully mediated by a high ratio of positive to negative emotional appraisal for dreams. This emotional positivity bias in dream recall was the link between positive attitudes toward dreams and psychological health. Results remained significant while controlling for other variables related to the experience of dreaming (emotional intensity and recall/frequency). Implications for subjective well-being are discussed.

Early Adolescent Affect Predicts Later Life Outcomes.

Subjective well-being as a predictor for later behavior and health hashighlighted its relationship to health, work performance, and social relationships. However, the majority of such studies neglect the developmental nature ofwell-being in contributing to important changes across the transition to adulthood. To examine the potential role of subjective well-being as a long-term predictor of critical life outcomes, we examined indicators of positive and negative affect at age 14 as predictors of relationship, adjustment, self-worth, and career outcomes a decade later at ages 23 to 25, controlling for family income and gender. We utilised multi-informant methods including reports from the target participant, close friends, and romantic partners in a demographically diverse community sample of 184 participants. Early adolescent positive affect predicted fewer relationship problems (less self-reported and partner-reported conflict, and greater friendship attachment as rated by close peers) and healthy adjustment to adulthood (lower levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness). It also predicted positive work functioning (higher levels of career satisfaction and job competence) and increased self-worth. Negative affect did not significantly predict any of these important life outcomes. In addition to predicting desirable mean levels of later outcomes, early positive affect predicted beneficial changes across time in many outcomes. The findings extend early research on the beneficial outcomes of subjective well-being by having an earlier assessment of well-being, including informant reports in measuring a large variety of outcome variables, and by extending the findings to a lower socioeconomic group of a diverse and younger sample. The results highlight the importance of considering positive affect as an important component of subjective well-being distinct from negative affect.

“…Do it with joy!” – Subjective well-being outcomes of working in non-profit organizations

Working in non-profit organizations has been shown to be good for individuals’ satisfaction with their jobs despite lower incomes. This paper explores the impact of non-profit work on life satisfaction more general for the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and finds a significant positive impact the size about more than a fourth of that of getting widowed. This effect is quite uniform across the subjective well-being distribution, and thus exists also for those who are already happy. Shadow prices peg this effect at around 22,000GBP p.a., the average amount of equivalent net household income in the sample analyzed (which is roughly 27,000GBP p.a.). The positive effect can be explained by third sector workers enjoying their day-to-day activities more, being (affectively) happier and feeling that they are playing a useful role in their lives.

The Effect of Intra- and Intergenerational Caregiving on Subjective Well-Being--Evidence of a Population Based Longitudinal Study among Older Adults in Germany.

ObjectiveTo examine whether intra- and intergenerational caregiving affect subjective well-being (SWB) of the caregivers longitudinally.MethodsData were drawn from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), which is a population-based longitudinal study of individuals living in Germany aged 40 and over. The waves in 2002, 2008 and 2011 were used (with 10,434 observations). SWB was examined in a broad sense, covering affective (AWB) and cognitive well-being (CWB), positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) as well as functional and mental health. While intragenerational caregiving was defined as providing care for spouse/partner, intergenerational caregiving was defined as providing care for mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, partner’s mother or partner’s father.ResultsFixed effects regressions adjusting for sociodemographic factors, social network, self-efficacy and morbidity showed that intergenerational informal care did not affect the various SWB outcome measures. Intragenerational caregiving affected CWB (women) and mental health (total sample and men), whereas it did not affect the other outcome variables.ConclusionOur findings highlight the importance of intragenerational caregiving for mental health (men) and cognitive well-being (women). Consequently, interventions to avoid mental illness due to intragenerational caregiving are urgently needed.

The Costs of Being “Different”: Sexual Identity and Subjective Wellbeing over the Life Course

Vast social transformations in recent decades have resulted in the emergence of a socio-political climate that is progressively more accepting of sexual minorities. However, sexual identity remains an important aspect influencing people’s lives, and is believed to have independent effects on subjective wellbeing via stigmatization and discrimination of sexual minorities. We use recently available, nationally representative, Australian panel data (n ≈ 15,000 individuals and 111,000 person-year observations) and panel regression models to provide an encompassing and generalizable empirical account of how sexual identity influences a range of subjective wellbeing outcomes, including mental health, life satisfaction, psychological distress and feelings of safety, and how its effects evolve over individuals’ life courses. We find that the subjective wellbeing of gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals is significantly worse than that of heterosexual individuals. Disparities are most apparent during adolescence and early adulthood and tend to close as people age, especially for bisexual individuals. Existing policies outlawing direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual identity in Australia are insufficient and a more global approach to prevent systematic, structural pressures on sexual minorities needed to close sexual identity disparities in subjective wellbeing. Interventions should particularly address the needs of teenagers and young adults.

Deprivation and the well-being of children and young people in Taiwan

This article draws on data from the second wave of the Taiwan Panel Study of Children and Youth survey to explore the relationship between deprivation and subjective well-being among children and young people in Taiwan using a child-centric approach. The survey data allows the deprivation status of disadvantaged children and young people to be identified using information that they themselves have provided. The results indicate that item-specific deprivation rates and the overall intensity of deprivation are generally higher among children. Further analysis reveals that deprivation is associated with lower levels of subjective well-being and poorer educational outcomes among both groups.

Socio-economic position and subjective health and well-being among older people in Europe: a systematic narrative review

Objectives: Previous studies of older European populations have established that disability and morbidity vary with indicators of socio-economic position (SEP). We undertook a systematic narrative review of the literature to ascertain to what extent there is evidence of similar inequalities in the subjective health and well-being of older people in Europe.Method: Relevant original research articles were searched for using Medline, Global Health, Embase, Social Policy and Practice, Cinahl, Web of Science and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS). We included studies of SEP and indicators of subjective health and well-being (self-rated health; life satisfaction; quality of life) conducted since 1991 using population-based samples of older people in Europe and published 1995–2013.Results: A total of 71 studies were identified. Poorer SEP was associated with poorer subjective health and well-being. Associations varied somewhat depending on the SEP measure and subjective health and well-being outcome used. Associations were weaker when social support and health-related behaviours were adjusted for suggesting that these factors mediate the relationship between SEP and subjective health and well-being. Associations tended to be weaker in the oldest age groups. The patterns of associations by gender were not consistent and tended to diminish after adjusting for indicators of health and life circumstances.Conclusion: The results of this systematic narrative review of the literature demonstrate the importance of social influences on later life subjective health and well-being and indicate areas which need further investigation, such as more studies from Eastern Europe, more longitudinal studies and more research on the role of mediating factors.

US Population Estimates of Health and Social Outcomes 5 Years After Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury

To estimate the number of adults in the United States from 2006 to 2012 who manifest selected health and social outcomes 5 years following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that required acute inpatient rehabilitation. Secondary data analysis. Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Patients 16 years and older receiving acute inpatient rehabilitation for a primary diagnosis of TBI. Mortality, functional independence, societal participation, subjective well-being, and global outcome. Annually from 2001 to 2007, an average of 13 700 patients aged 16 years or older received acute inpatient rehabilitation in the United States with a primary diagnosis of TBI. Approximately 1 in 5 patients had died by the 5-year postinjury assessment. Among survivors, 12% were institutionalized and 50% had been rehospitalized at least once. Approximately one-third of patients were not independent in everyday activities. Twenty-nine percent were dissatisfied with life, with 8% reporting markedly depressed mood. Fifty-seven percent were moderately or severely disabled overall, with 39% having deteriorated from a global outcome attained 1 or 2 years postinjury. Of those employed preinjury, 55% were unemployed. Poorer medical, functional, and participation outcomes were associated with, but not limited to, older age. Younger age groups had poorer mental and emotional outcomes. Deterioration in global outcome was common and not age-related. Significant mortality and morbidity were evident at 5 years postinjury. The deterioration in global outcomes observed regardless of age suggests that multiple influences contribute to poorer outcomes. Public health interventions intended to reduce post-acute inpatient rehabilitation mortality and morbidity rates will need to be multifaceted and age-specific.

Dealing with moral dilemma raised by adaptive preferences in health technology assessment: The example of growth hormones and bilateral cochlear implants

The aim of this article is to assess dilemma raised by adaptive preferences in the economic evaluation of growth hormone (GH) treatment for non-GH-deficient short children, and of bilateral cochlear implants for deaf children. Early implementation of both technologies and their irreversible consequences increase the potential conflicts faced by the assessors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) states (on behalf of patients) who could be interviewed (parents, individuals with an experience of the same disability, or representative samples of the general public). Indeed, assessors' preferences may be influenced by their own situation and they are likely to vary according to age and the experience of disability. Three options are put forward which aim to resolve these moral dilemma and help economists make methodological choices that cannot be avoided in order to carry out this assessment. They are grounded on three specific egalitarian theories of social justice. The main contribution of this article is to show that a dialogue between ethics and economics, prior to an assessment, makes it possible to redefine the choice of effectiveness criteria (subjective well-being, capabilities or social outcomes), the choice of perspective (patients or the able-bodied), as well as the scope of assessment (medical and non-medical care).

Leisure and life satisfaction: the role of passion and life domain outcomes

We investigated passionate leisure activity engagement in relation to the hierarchical model of life satisfaction. The hierarchical model of life satisfaction implies that experiences in life domains (e.g., work, family, leisure) are transmitted to a higher level of general well-being. The aim of the present study was to examine whether harmonious and obsessive passion towards an activity in the leisure domain were differently related to positive outcomes in other life domains, but foremost, to general subjective well-being. Results showed that harmonious passion was positively related to subjective well-being and positive outcomes in all life domains included in the study, whereas obsessive passion was negatively related to subjective well-being and negatively related to positive life domain outcomes. Mediational effects were found using path analyses. Most findings were in concordance with the theories investigated in the study, indicating that the motivation behind leisure activity engagement affects life domain outcomes and life satisfaction. Moreover, the present findings illuminate the potential negative effects of leisure activity engagement.

Predicting saturated fat consumption: Exploring the role of subjective well-being

Consumption of saturated fat (SF) is associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer; which are among the leading causes of death in Australia and worldwide. A causal relationship between subjective well-being and positive health outcomes has been established, although few studies have specifically focused on health-enhancing or health-risk behaviours. The aim of this research was to develop an improved understanding of the processes underlying SF consumption by exploring the relationship between subjective well-being and SF consumption, within the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. Questionnaires related to the TPB variables, subjective well-being and SF intake were administered online to 96 participants. Perceived behavioural control (PBC) was found to be a significant predictor of intention to limit SF intake. Intention and PBC accounted for 25% of variance in behaviour; with PBC the only significant predictor of SF consumption. While subjective well-being variables were not significant unique predictors of SF consumption, these variables contributed an additional 2% to the prediction of behaviour, and this model was significant. The addition of subjective well-being to the TPB is novel and the results partially support the potential of subjective well-being in improving the prediction of this health-risk behaviour. Future research will need to replicate and extend these preliminary findings before such a framework may be translated into an intervention targeting SF consumption.

Downward social comparison and subjective well-being in late life: The moderating role of perceived control

Objective: Drawing from Heckhausen and Schulz's Motivational Theory of Life-span Development, this study examined perceived control as a moderator of the protective relationship between downward social comparison and subjective well-being among older adults. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 97, 63% female, ages 79–97) were interviewed in their own homes at three time-points over a nine-year period. Interviews assessed older adults’ perceived control over daily tasks, their use of downward social comparison in response to task restriction, and their subjective well-being. Results: Regression analyses yielded a significant interaction between downward social comparison and perceived control for three subjective well-being outcomes: life satisfaction, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Follow-up analyses revealed that downward social comparison was associated with greater subjective well-being at low levels of perceived control; but was unrelated to subjective well-being at high levels of perceived control. Conclusion: These findings corroborate Heckhausen and Schulz's theorized goal-opportunity congruence premise and have implications for quality-of-life interventions to assist community-dwelling older adults.

Outcomes for people with cerebral palsy: life expectancy and quality of life

Cerebral palsy has tended to be regarded as a paediatric condition, whereas it clearly is a life long one. The over-emphasis on childhood has meant that the implications of therapeutic, environmental and family support have not been provided or evaluated in terms of their implications for adult life; nor has study of the natural history of cerebral palsy in adulthood received the attention it deserves; and nor have the outcomes of social participation and subjective wellbeing been properly considered in adulthood. In this review, outcomes in adulthood of life expectancy, subjective wellbeing, participation, mental health, physical health including pain, and impact on family are presented. On all these domains, adults with cerebral palsy have poorer outcomes than in the general population. It is argued that this may be due in part to misplaced interventions in childhood.

Striving for Educational and Career Goals During the Transition After High School: What is Beneficial?

The present study takes a motivational perspective that views youths' educational and career engagement as influential and potentially competing for the same motivational resources in the transition to adulthood. We investigated whether motivational engagement with educational and career goals in the year after high-school graduation was differentially associated with educational, career-related and subjective well-being outcomes 2 and 4 years after school graduation. Our longitudinal study of a multi-ethnic sample of Los Angeles high-school graduates followed participants 2 years (N = 561; 61.5 % female) and 4 years (N = 364; 59.8 % female) after high school graduation. The findings indicate that motivational engagement with educational goals after high school graduation predicted educational attainments and psychological well-being at follow-up 2 and 4 years after graduation, and occupational progress at 4 years after graduation. Work hours assessed shortly after high school graduation were associated with poorer educational outcomes both at 2 and 4 years after high school. Occupational goal engagement was not associated with better outcomes, but predicted less educational attainment 4 years after graduating. Thus, educational goal engagement predicted favorable outcomes, whereas career-related goal engagement for the most part was neutral with some select associations with negative educational outcomes. A strong motivational commitment to educational goals, but not to career goals, is an important component of a successful transition to adulthood.

Unpaid and Paid Care: The Effects of Child Care and Elder Care on the Standard of Living

ABSTRACT Transforming care for children and the elderly from a private to a public domain engenders a series of benefits to the economy that improve our standard of living. We assess the positive impacts of social care from both receivers’ and providers’ points of view. The benefits to care receivers are various, ranging from private, higher returns to education to enhancing subjective well-being and health outcomes. The economy-wide spillovers of the benefits are noteworthy. Early childhood education reduces costs of law enforcement and generates higher long-term economic growth. Home-based health care lowers absenteeism and job losses that otherwise undermine labor productivity, providing adequate care at a lower cost and delaying admission into high-cost institutional care. Social care improves mothers’ labor-market attachment with higher lifetime income; it also lowers physical and psychological burdens of elder care that are becoming more prevalent with an aging population. Social care investment creates more job opportunities than other public spending, especially for workers from poor households and with low levels of educational attainment. The broad contributions of social care to our standard of living should be recognized in the public discourse, particularly in this era of fiscal austerity.

Housing Satisfaction Among Chronically Homeless Adults: Identification of its Major Domains, Changes Over Time, and Relation to Subjective Well-being and Functional Outcomes

There is limited consensus on the critical domains of housing satisfaction among chronically homeless adults and little information on changes in housing satisfaction over time or whether housing satisfaction at initial entry into housing is correlated with subsequent subjective well-being or other outcomes. The current study tracked housing satisfaction over a 2-year period in a multi-site supported housing initiative and examined the predictive value of clients' housing satisfaction when they were first housed on various subjective and functional outcomes. A total of 756 participants from 11 sites were enrolled in the study. Six domains of housing satisfaction were identified: good environment, control and consumer choice, physical quality, geographic proximity to desirable resources, positive case manager contact, and frequency of landlord interaction. Over 2years, there were slight declines in housing satisfaction on physical quality of housing and satisfaction with case manager contact, and an increase in satisfaction with landlord interaction. Consistent with some previous research, housing satisfaction was not predictive of housing tenure, clinical outcomes, or duration of program participation. While becoming housed is a significant gain for chronically homeless people, their satisfaction with housing did not predict functional outcomes.

Religion and Subjective Well-Being in Ghana

Using 2008 Afrobarometer survey data, we examine the relationship between religion and subjective well-being (SWB) in Ghana, as well as religious group differences in their experiences of SWB. Two measures of religion—religious affiliation and religious importance, and two measures of SWB—absolute SWB (own perceived living conditions) and relative SWB (own living conditions compared to those of other Ghanaians) are employed in this study. Results show that religious affiliation is significantly related to both measures of SWB although associations depicted for such relationships were not strong. Religious importance significantly related to relative SWB only (with a weak-to-moderate association). Significant religious affiliation and religious importance group differences are found on both SWB outcomes via non-parametric test procedures (Kruskal–Wallis H test, followed by post hoc tests). On balance, the None/Traditional religious group experienced less favorable SWB than Other Christian, Evangelical/Pentecostal, and Muslim groups, especially for absolute SWB, while the None/Traditional group experienced particularly less favorable relative SWB than the Protestant group. Religious importance groups also significantly differed in such a way that the group that considered religion very important had more favorable experiences of both types of SWB than the group that considered religion not at all/not very important. Other significant differences on both outcomes are found among ethnic, educational, and regional groups. In view of the findings, the study contributes to SWB research and suggests policy implications.

Individual- and Neighbourhood-Level Indicators of Subjective Well-Being in a Small and Poor Eastern Cape Township: The Effect of Health, Social Capital, Marital Status, and Income

Our study used multilevel regression analysis to identify individual- and neighbourhood-level factors that determine individual-level subjective well-being in Rhini, a deprived suburb of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Townsend index and Gini coefficient were used to investigate whether contextual neighbourhood-level differences in socioeconomic status determined individual-level subjective well-being. Crime experience, health status, social capital, and demographic variables were assessed at the individual level. The indicators of subjective well-being were estimated with a two-level random-intercepts and fixed slopes model. Social capital, health and marital status (all p < .001), followed by income level (p < .01) and the Townsend score (p < .05) were significantly related to individual-level subjective well-being outcomes. Our findings showed that individual-level subjective well-being is influenced by neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status as measured by the Townsend deprivation score. Individuals reported higher levels of subjective well-being in less deprived neighbourhoods. Here we wish to highlight the role of context for subjective well-being, and to suggest that subjective well-being outcomes may also be defined in ecological terms. We hope the findings are useful for implementing programs and interventions designed to achieve greater subjective well-being for people living in deprived areas.

Does Migration Make You Happy? A Longitudinal Study of Internal Migration and Subjective Well-Being

The majority of modelling studies on consequences of internal migration focus almost exclusively on the labour market outcomes and the material well-being of migrants. We investigate whether individuals who migrate within the UK become happier after the move than they were before it and whether the effect is permanent or transient. Using life satisfaction responses from 12 waves of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and employing a fixed-effects model, we derive a temporal pattern of migrants' subjective well-being (SWB) around the time of the migration event. Our findings make an original contribution by revealing for the first time that, on average, migration is preceded by a period when individuals experience a significant decline in happiness. The boost that is received through migration appears to bring people back to their initial level of happiness. As opposed to labour market outcomes of migration, SWB outcomes do not differ significantly between men and women. Perhaps surprisingly, long-distance migrants are at least as happy as short-distance migrants despite the higher social costs that are involved.