Well-being Paradox Research Articles

The well-being paradox: Comparing prosocial and self-kindness interventions for mental health benefits.

A growing body of literature supports the idea that prosocial behavior, or behavior done on behalf of another person, is beneficial to well-being. However, modern society often places a greater emphasis on self-care or "treating yourself" in the pursuit of well-being. To understand the effects of these differing forms of kindness (to others or the self), we conducted a 2-week intervention study in December 2020. Participants (N = 999) were randomly assigned to an other-kindness, self-kindness, or control condition. Participants in the other- and self-kindness groups were asked to perform three acts of kindness each week, while participants in the control condition were not. Of those who completed the intervention (N = 781), we found that participants in the other-kindness (vs. self-kindness and control) group experienced significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and loneliness from pre- to postintervention, offering compelling evidence for the mental health benefits of prosocial behavior. Unexpectedly, we also found that participants in the self-kindness (vs. other-kindness and control) group experienced significant increases in depression and anxiety. While the self-kindness group reported enjoying their acts of kindness more, the other-kindness group felt more connected. Overall, these findings reaffirm the benefits of prosocial behavior on well-being and suggest that self-kindness might not be as positive as it feels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Well-being paradox: comparing the age-happiness relationship across Japan, China, and the US

Well-being paradox: comparing the age-happiness relationship across Japan, China, and the US

Wellbeing and religious community participation: Exploring resources for wellbeing in areas of socio‐economic deprivation in the United Kingdom

AbstractA decrease in wellbeing in the United Kingdom since the 2008 economic crisis has been compounded by the closure of community groups in socio‐economically deprived areas. This leaves churches as one of the few communal groups for fostering wellbeing, despite a dearth of research on religiosity and wellbeing in such areas. This article draws on semi‐structured interviews, supplemented with participant observations and ethnographic observations, to explore the social processes involved in shaping experiences of wellbeing amongst religious communities in socio‐economically deprived areas in North East England. It identifies the resources available for wellbeing and the points at which they are accessed. It also expands the existing conception of wellbeing by: (i) unpacking and refining a three‐tiered structure for understanding wellbeing; (ii) identifying a wellbeing paradox, whereby interpersonal vulnerability supports and undermines wellbeing; and (iii) mapping the relationships between the micro, meso and macro levels in shaping experiences of wellbeing, highlighting the need for more qualitative studies of subjective wellbeing. As it does so, this article offers practical insights that can guide those with pastoral responsibilities in areas of socio‐economic deprivation to foster higher levels of wellbeing in their communities.

Is the Well-being Paradox Real? A Meta-Analysis of Human Resource Management and Employee Well-being

Is the Well-being Paradox Real? A Meta-Analysis of Human Resource Management and Employee Well-being

Economic inequalities and discontent in European cities

This paper reconsiders a stylized fact of the literature on the relationship between urbanization and subjective well-being, the urban well-being paradox, i.e., the densest settings typically show the highest level of individual discontent. By drawing on an original sample based on more 50,000 individuals in 83 cities of the 27 member states of the European Union plus the UK, the paper highlights three main results. First, bigger cities are characterized by intrinsically higher inequalities than smaller ones, suggesting a scaling of disparities: interpersonal inequalities represent an often-overlooked cause of urbanization diseconomies. Second, compositional effects on discontent are particularly detrimental in cities, suggesting a scaling of discontent. Moreover, compositional and contextual characteristics mix in cities, amplifying the negative effect of inequalities especially for the most fragile social groups. Third, discontent with life and discontent with specific domains of city life do not always go in tandem. Nevertheless, the advantages of largest cities seem especially a benefit for élite individuals.

Patient-reported outcomes versus proxy-reported outcomes in supportive and palliative care: a summary of recent literature.

Patient-reported outcomes are one of the most valuable clinical outcome measures. In palliative care, however, they are often difficult to retrieve. Therefore, proxy-reported outcomes are sometimes used as a surrogate. As there have been concerns about the validity of these by-proxy reports, the authors reviewed the most recent literature for the most recent insights in using proxy-reported outcomes. The authors found very little new research on patient versus proxy-reported outcomes in palliative care. The results of the studies the authors found seem to correlate with older evidence concluding that there are many factors influencing a discrepancy between patients' outcomes and how this is perceived by their proxies, such as the well-being paradox, caregiver burden, and the proxies' own mental well-being. While proxies' opinions and knowledge of the patients' values are important factors to consider, proxy-reported outcomes should be used with caution and viewed as a complementary perspective rather than a true substitute for the individual patient's outcome.

Health shock, the Green for Grain Program and medical expenses: Empirical Evidence on the well-being of Chinese Farmers

Health shock is an important factor affecting the medical expenditure of farmers. As the largest environmental compensation project in China, the Green for Grain Program plays an important role in increasing the well-being of farmers. Based on the 2017–2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) dataset, this paper constructs two balanced panel data, which adopts the differences-in-differences propensity score matching (PSM-DID) from the perspective of post-hoc. The method identified the effect of health shock on the level of household medical expenditure in peasant household. The findings suggest that health shock have significantly increased the level of medical expenditure in peasant household, and this conclusion remains true after a series of robustness tests. Specifically, the health impact can significantly increase household medical expenditure by 2270 RMB yuan. Further research found that the impact is significantly heterogeneous due to whether farmers participate in the Green for Grain Program. Specifically, under the impact of health shock, the increased amount of medical expenditure of farmers participating in the Green for Grain Program is relatively small, that is, there is a “well-being paradox” phenomenon. Therefore, this paper puts forward suggestions on improving the level of farmers’ health literacy, optimizing the compensation policy for the Green for Grain Program and developing the service industry policy in the areas where the Green for Grain Program is implemented. This study has certain policy guidance and reference value for the Chinese government to continue to consolidate the results of the Green for Grain Program to alleviate poverty and improve the well-being of farmers in developing countries.

How Tourism Industry Development Affects Residents’ Well-Being: An Empirical Study Based on CGSS and Provincial-Level Matched Data

Happiness is not only for the pursuit of individuals but also the common goal of society as a whole. The tourism industry can promote social well-being by stimulating consumption, narrowing the income gap and improving infrastructure. However, overemphasizing the economic benefits of tourism industry development will produce a series of social problems, including environmental damage, forced consumption, and vicious price hikes. When the negative impact of industry development exceeds the positive impact of economic benefits, the happiness enhancement effect of tourism will decline significantly, resulting in the “well-being paradox” of tourism. Based on Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data and provincial-level matched data, this study finds that the development of China’s tourism industry has a negative impact on residents’ well-being; however, there is a masking effect that disguises the actual income gap among residents. Tourism industry development can reduce the negative effect on residents’ well-being by narrowing the income gap. At the same time, the empirical results show that gender can significantly moderate the masking effect and that this income gap effect impacts women less than men.

Self-reported health and the well-being paradox among community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)

BackgroundSelf-reported health is a widely used epidemiologic measure, however, the factors that predict self-reported health among community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years), especially those with multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions), are poorly understood. Further, it is not known why some older adults self-report their health positively despite the presence of high levels of multimorbidity, a phenomenon known as the well-being paradox. The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine the factors that moderate or mediate the relationship between multimorbidity and self-reported health; 2) identify the factors that predict high self-reported health; and 3) determine whether these same factors predict high self-reported health among those with high levels of multimorbidity to better understand the well-being paradox.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging was completed (n = 21,503). Bivariate stratified analyses were used to explore whether each factor moderated or mediated the relationship between multimorbidity and self-reported health. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors that predict high self-reported health in the general population of community-dwelling older adults and those displaying the well-being paradox.ResultsNone of the factors explored in this study moderated or mediated the relationship between multimorbidity and self-reported health, yet all were independently associated with self-reported health. The ‘top five’ factors predicting high self-reported health in the general older adult population were: lower level of multimorbidity (odds ratio [OR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.76), female sex (OR 0.62, CI 0.57-0.68), higher Life Space Index score (OR 1.01, CI 1.01-1.01), higher functional resilience (OR 1.16, CI 1.14-1.19), and higher psychological resilience (OR 1.26, CI 1.23-1.29). These same ‘top five’ factors predicted high self-reported health among the subset of this population with the well-being paradox.ConclusionsThe factors that predict high self-reported health in the general population of older adults are the same for the subset of this population with the well-being paradox. A number of these factors are potentially modifiable and can be the target of future interventions to improve the self-reported health of this population.

Whose Happiness in Which Cities? A Quantile Approach

The proposition that living in the largest urban agglomerations of an advanced economy reduces the average wellbeing of residents is known as the urban wellbeing paradox. Empirical tests using subjective wellbeing have produced mixed results and there are two reasons for being cautious. Firstly, the default reliance on the conditional mean can disguise uneven effects across the wellbeing distribution. Secondly, relying on respondents to define their settlement size does not ensure a consistent measure of the agglomeration. I therefore apply quantile regression to the life satisfaction and happiness measures of wellbeing as collected by the 2018 European Social Survey (ESS9) and employ a consistent local labour market-based definition of agglomeration—The Functional Urban Area (FUA). I compare three countries as proof of concept: one with a known strong negative (respondent defined) agglomeration effect (Austria), one with a slight negative effect (Czech Republic), and one where living in the main agglomeration is positively associated with average wellbeing (Slovenia). The uneven wellbeing effect of living in the largest agglomeration in each country raises questions about who benefits in which cities.

‘Well-being paradox’ revisited: a cross-sectional study of quality of life in over 4000 adults with congenital heart disease

ObjectiveThe present cross-sectional study investigated quality of life (QOL) in a large cohort of German adults with congenital heart disease (ACHDs) in association with patient-related and clinical variables.DesignCross-sectional survey.ParticipantsBetween 2016...

The Relationship Between Multimorbidity and Self-Reported Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults and the Factors that Shape This Relationship: A Mixed Methods Study Protocol Using CLSA Baseline Data

Self-reported health is a common measure predictive of morbidity and mortality among adults. Many factors are known to be associated with self-reported health including the number of chronic conditions (i.e., multimorbidity). While the association between self-reported health and morbidity and mortality has been well-established, the factors that shape the relationship with self-reported health (e.g., modify and mediate) are poorly understood. Further, it is unknown why some older adults, despite having high numbers of chronic conditions, continue to rate their health positively. This is known as the well-being paradox. This mixed methods research study was designed to address these knowledge gaps. The objectives of the proposed research are to (1) determine what factors shape the relationship between multimorbidity and self-reported health and how they do so; (2) describe the ways that older adults define and perceive their individual health; and (3) explain the well-being paradox. Informed by a multimorbidity resilience framework, the quantitative component of research will analyze Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging data while the qualitative component will collect and analyze interview data from 12 to 20 community-dwelling older adults using a case study design. Findings from this study have the potential to inform and advance future health intervention programs or services aimed at improving health-related quality of life for community-dwelling older adults.

The Age and Well-Being Paradox Revisited: A Multidimensional Perspective

Much gerontological research has focused on the paradoxical observation that older people, despite their lower objective quality of life, report higher well-being than younger people. High well-being in old age is believed to be caused by adaptation, emotional regulation, and accommodative strategies. We aim to add nuance by examining whether the “paradox” holds across dimensions of well-being; for men and women; in young old and old-old age; and before introducing statistical controls (e.g for health and social factors). Using fixed effects models and 15-years panel data from the Norwegian NorLAG study (n=2,700, age 40+), we explore age-related changes in cognitive, affective, and eudaimonic dimensions of wellbeing. Results indicate a general pattern of stability well into older age, but negative changes in advanced age, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and for each well-being measure. Declines in well-being are less pronounced and with a later onset for the cognitive compared with the other measures. Results are similar for men and women. Loss of health and partner are the main causes of declining well-being in older age. Findings suggest qualifications to the “well-being paradox”, e.g.: some dimensions of well-being remain more stable than others; across dimensions of well-being change is more negative in old-old than in young-old age; and patterns of increasing well-being in older age are more pronounced after controlling for age-related changes in health and social roles. We argue that the use of controls makes for false impressions of the psychological changes that actually occur when people grow older.

Life satisfaction of Korean older adults: The roles of chronological and subjective age and appearance management

I addressed previous contradictory findings that people aged 65 and over (vs. younger age groups) have lower life satisfaction, in contrast to the well-being paradox in older age, whereby there is an increase in life satisfaction among people in this age group. Thus, I investigated the effects of age and appearance management on the life satisfaction of 364 Koreans aged 65 years and over, who completed a survey in which they gave their age (chronological and subjective), and responded to items on appearance management, life satisfaction, and demographic characteristics. Results of my preliminary analysis showed that economic status, age, and appearance management were related to life satisfaction. However, multiple regression analysis results showed that only subjective age and appearance management significantly explained overall satisfaction with life. A practical implication of the results is that perceptions of people aged 65 and over, including their subjective rather than chronological age, and behavior, such as appearance management, should be managed together by mental health services.

In the moment and feeling good: Age differences in mindfulness and positive affect.

Although aging is often associated with several negative outcomes (e.g., declines in physical health), older adults generally report more positive and less negative affect than younger adults. The mechanisms underlying this “well-being paradox” are not clearly understood. In the present study, we ex

Psychological stress declines rapidly from age 50 in the United States: Yet another well-being paradox

ObjectivesAlthough there is evidence that evaluative subjective well-being (e.g., life satisfaction) shows a U-shaped pattern with highest satisfaction in the youngest and oldest years and lowest in the middle years of adulthood, much less is known about experiential well-being. We explore a negative indicator of experiential well-being (perceived stress), examine its association with age, and explore possible determinants of the age pattern. MethodsUsing Gallup-Healthways survey data of over 1.5 million U.S. respondents, we analyzed a question asking about stress yesterday and demographic determinants of the pattern. To confirm this pattern, data on stress was analyzed from the American Time Use Survey and data on distress was analyzed from the Health and Retirement Survey. ResultsWe show that ratings of daily, perceived stressfulness yield a paradox, with high levels from the 20's through about age 50, followed by a precipitous decline through the 70's. Data from the other two surveys confirmed the age pattern for stress. Regressions with the Gallup-Healthways data statistically controlled several third-variables, yet none substantially altered the pattern. ConclusionWe argue that this new experiential well-being pattern informs us about aging in the US and the “paradox” calls out for explanation.

HRM Systems, Firm Performance and the Well-being Paradox

In this study we attempt to solve the well-being paradox as existing empirical evidence appears conflicted, that is, sometimes supporting the mutual gains model (employers and employees both benefiting from human resource management (HRM) systems) but at others supporting the critical model (employers, not employees, benefiting from HRM systems). Based on our analysis, four main findings were established. First, the three bundles of HR practices constituting HRM systems (employee skills and organizational structures, employee motivation, and organization commitment) were positively associated with firm performance, and this association occurred through work intensification. Second, at low levels of implementation, the three bundles of HR practices were negatively associated with employee well-being (high levels of work intensification and anxiety, and low levels of comfort). At high levels, however, the three bundles of HR practices were positively related to well-being. Third, the three bundles of HR practices were differentially related to well-being and firm performance. Fourth, positive well-being, measured by job satisfaction and comfort, and negative well-being, measured by work intensification and anxiety, were governed by the principle of positive presence and the absence of negative effect; as positive well-being increases, negative well-being decreases. Following this, research implications and future directions are discussed.

Does positive affect change in old age? Results from a 22-year longitudinal study.

The authors examined longitudinal change in positive affect (PA), a component of subjective well-being. Positive affect was assessed with the PA subscale of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977) in a sample of individuals from the PAQUID cohort (n = 3,777; age 62-101 years, M = 75.46, SD = 6.91 at Wave 1) over a period of 22 years (10 waves of data). Latent growth curve modeling was used to assess change in PA. A quadratic latent growth curve was found to characterize the latent growth pattern of PA in our sample, indicating linear change before a decline phase. These results were discussed with reference to the well-being paradox.

Patientenzufriedenheit – Sind die erfolgreich therapierten Patienten die zufriedenen Patienten?

The current scientific opinion on the success of a therapy is that patients having undergone a successful therapy are satisfied. However, in reality, it is possible that patients with poor living conditions are satisfied (well-being paradox) whereas patients treated successfully are not (dissonance). The higher the psychological distress, the more rare is the assumption that successful therapy is an equivalent of satisfaction. Satisfaction depends more on fulfillment of patient expectations and involvement of the physicians.

Mindful Attention and Awareness Mediate the Association Between Age and Negative Affect

Later life is often accompanied by experiences of loss and bereavement in several life domains. In spite of this, older adults experience less negative affect than their younger counterparts. Several explanations for this paradoxical finding have been put forward, but the mechanisms underlying the association between age and negative affect remain largely unclear. In the present study, we propose that mindfulness may be an important mediator of this association. A cross-sectional sample of 507 participants (age range 18-85 years) was used to investigate this question. Participants completed a range of self-report questionnaires on demographic variables, mindfulness, affect, quality of life (QoL), and personality. In our mediation analysis, we used an advanced statistical technique called G-estimation to control for the impact of confounding variables such as personality dimensions and QoL. Our findings indicate that the age-related decrease in negative affect is mediated by mindfulness. The results remain significant when we control for QoL and personality. These findings imply that mindfulness skills may be an important link between age and negative affect. Implications of these findings for the understanding of the well-being paradox are discussed.