Well-being Research Research Articles

New graduate nurses’ perspectives on well-being and transitioning into the workforce

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted nurses’ well-being and the transition of new nurses into the workplace. The National Academy of Medicine and American Nurses Foundation have announced the need to prioritize well-being research. PurposeTo explore new nurses’ perspectives related to factors that influenced their well-being and transition to practice. MethodNew graduate nurses (1-2 years post-graduation) in Hawaii were invited to participate in a qualitative study, September 2023. FindingsParticipants (N=25) were predominantly female (84%), Asian (80%), and had 1 year of experience (76%). Participants described the effect of the pandemic on their well-being, individual factors they needed to develop, external factors that were barriers or facilitators, and considerations for future interventions to support well-being and transition to practice. DiscussionFindings highlighted components of interventions needed in the academic and professional setting to support new nurses' successful and sustained transition to the workplace.

Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Youth Digital Well-Being Research: Identifying Notable Developments, Persistent Gaps, and Future Directions

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broad, multi-disciplinary overview of key insights, persistent gaps, and future paths in youth digital well-being research from the perspectives of researchers who are conducting this work. Participants included 38 researchers representing diverse disciplinary fields from universities and research institutes spanning 12 countries. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 researchers via Zoom and hosted a two-day virtual convening with 26 researchers, 13 of whom had participated in the interviews. We employed reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the interview and convening data. Our analysis surfaced three notable developments in youth digital well-being research: (1) greater nuance in measures of young people’s social media experiences, (2) increased representation of diverse adolescents’ experiences, and (3) a growing number of interventions targeting youth digital well-being. Persistent gaps include a relative lack of cross-cultural work, particularly in the Global South, as well as culturally sensitive interventions that fit the needs and contexts of diverse youth. By examining existing research through the perspectives of researchers spanning multiple fields, we contribute a cross-disciplinary view on the current state of knowledge and identify priorities for youth digital well-being research.

Matalili-Aga Gahua: Development of the Matalili Framework as a Holistic Model for the Well-being of the Niue People.

Culturally appropriate research frameworks are needed for investigating Pacific well-being. This study expands on existing Pacific methodologies and presents a well-being research framework by studying the Niue community. Traditional storytelling or talanoa methodology, referred to as tala in the Niue context, was used to explore and understand the lived experiences of well-being from Niue elders. The elders described traditional activities and objects that are required to sustain well-being, as well as relationships with family, community, and the environment. Three interconnected principles that influence the well-being of the Niue people emerged from the tala, namely, Vahā Loto-Agaaga Ofania (Spirit of Care), Fakafetuiaga (Inclusive Relationship), and Fakamalolo (Empowerment). Using a Niue lens, the key three principles were developed into the Matalili-Aga Gahua (Matalili Wellbeing Framework), based on a circular woven pattern that is distinctive to the Niue culture. The principles of the Matalili Wellbeing Framework are proposed as a guide in future Niue-centered research.

A comprehensive Beyond-GDP database to accelerate wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability research

“Beyond-GDP” metrics are essential for understanding societal progress. Yet despite their importance, these metrics are scattered across various databases, hindering accessibility and interdisciplinary analysis. Addressing this gap, we present the ‘WISE database’ – the first extensive collection of important Beyond-GDP metrics organized by Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Sustainability (WISE) dimensions. The WISE database consolidates data from a variety of sources, including international institutions and academic publications. It encompasses over one million data points across 244 metrics, covering 218 countries and 61 country groupings, from specific social and environmental indicators to the main Beyond-GDP indexes, and is augmented by essential metadata. The data primarily spans from 1995 to 2015, with some metrics extending back to the 19th century. To improve accessibility and data interpretation, a user-friendly online visualization tool has been developed. The WISE database aims to foster a broader view of societal progress, facilitate research on synergies and trade-offs of wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability, and provide a foundation for interdisciplinary research.

Examining Indigenous Identity as a Protective Factor in Mental Well-Being Research in the United States: A Scoping Review

Examining Indigenous Identity as a Protective Factor in Mental Well-Being Research in the United States: A Scoping Review

“Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”: Gender Differences in Singles’ Well-Being

The experience of singles has been largely overlooked in relationship science, garnering a need for understanding correlates of singles’ well-being. Gender is an important focus of well-being research, and qualitative work on singlehood has suggested that men and women may have experiences of singlehood that differ in important ways. In this study ( N = 5941; 50% men; Mage = 31.74), we provide the first comprehensive, descriptive profile of gender differences on a suite of variables with important ties to well-being in singlehood; satisfaction with relationship status, life satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and desire for a partner. Our results suggest that single women, on average, report higher levels of satisfaction with relationship status, life satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and lower desire for a partner. Exploratory analyses showed significant gender interactions with age and ethnicity. Overall, these findings suggest that women are, on average, happier in singlehood than men.

Profiles of teachers' emotional labour during COVID-19 and the consequences on mental health: A comparison between online and offline teaching.

Despite increasing attention on emotional labor in teacher well-being research, person-centered studies are relatively scarce, particularly concerning the emotional labor of online teaching during COVID-19 and its effects on teachers' non-work-related mental health. This study aims to address these gaps by examining emotional labor profiles and their consequences on job satisfaction, depression, and anxiety among Chinese teachers involved in either online or offline teaching during October-December 2022. Two samples of teachers were analyzed altogether: one engaged in online teaching (N=605) and the other in offline teaching (N=394). Latent profile analysis was used to identify emotional labor profiles based on three strategies: surface acting, deep acting, and expression of naturally felt emotions. A total of four subgroups of emotional workers were identified: natural expressors, actors, flexible regulators, and authentic regulators. Significant differences were found between online and offline teaching, with a higher proportion of actors and fewer flexible regulators in the online condition, suggesting that the screen acts as a barrier to authentic emotional display. Among the four classes, actors scored lowest on job satisfaction and highest on depression and anxiety, whereas authentic regulators were the most adaptive, especially in online settings. The findings highlight the impact of online teaching on teachers' emotional labor profiles and mental health, with practical implications for optimizing online teaching environments and supporting teacher well-being.

Global Trends in Employee Wellbeing Research: A Bibliometric Study

This bibliometric study examines global trends in employee wellbeing research from 1990 to 2024, focusing on key themes such as burnout, work engagement, job satisfaction, leadership, and workplace environment. Using co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and citation metrics, the study identifies influential authors, emerging trends, and underexplored areas in the field. Results show a significant increase in publications since 2017, with a growing focus on the psychological and emotional dimensions of wellbeing. Key findings highlight the positive impact of transformational leadership and supportive work environments, as well as the detrimental effects of toxic behaviors like abusive supervision and workplace bullying. The study also identifies gaps in the literature, particularly regarding the intersection of employee wellbeing and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This analysis provides a foundation for future research and emphasizes the critical role of employee wellbeing in fostering organizational success and sustainability.

Harnessing digital footprint data for population health: a discussion on collaboration, challenges and opportunities in the UK

Digital footprint data are inspiring a new era in population health and well-being research. Linking these novel data with other datasets is critical for future research wishing to use these...

Understanding the interplay between organisational injustice and the health and wellbeing of female police officers: a meta-ethnography

BackgroundFemale police officers are reported to encounter more bias, discriminatory practices, and inadequate support than their male counterparts and experience poorer health outcomes. This meta-ethnographic review looks beyond individual responsibilities to consider which aspects of policing impact the health and well-being of female police officers.MethodsPrimary qualitative and mixed method studies published between 2000 and 2024 were included. ProQuest (all databases) and Ovid (Medline and Embase) were searched using terms related to health, wellbeing, females, police, and qualitative research. This was a cross-jurisdictional review, with no limit on country of study. In total, twenty-one papers met the inclusion criteria. A seven-phase inductive and interpretative meta-ethnographic technique was employed to synthesise, analyse, and interpret the data.ResultsThe data analysis revealed a distinct outcome that demonstrated a strong relationship and substantial impacts of organisational injustice on the health and well-being of female police officers. Our findings showed that organisational injustice, encompassing procedural, relational, distributive, and gendered injustice, significantly influences the health and well-being of female officers. Impacts on mental health were commonly discussed, followed by aspects influencing social health, workplace wellbeing, and physical health. Moreover, the effects of these four forms of organisational injustice and the associated cultural, systemic, and structural risk factors extend beyond the immediate health and wellbeing impacts on the individual female officer through impeding other aspects of their work life, such as career progression and work-life balance, that can further impact long-term health and well-being.ConclusionThis review highlights the importance of addressing organisational injustice and the cultural, systemic, and structural risk factors within policing to promote healthier and more inclusive workforces for female officers. Policymakers and practitioners should critically examine policies and practices that may appear gender neutral but disproportionately impact women, affecting the health and well-being of female police officers. By addressing these issues, transformative action can be taken to create safer, more supportive, and healthier working environments for female police officers.

Associations of childhood household dysfunction and healthy lifestyle with depressive symptoms in adolescents

ObjectiveLimited understanding exists regarding the cumulative impact of childhood household dysfunction (CHD) on adolescent depressive symptoms in developing countries, as well as the role of lifestyles in this association. This study aims to explore the associations of individual and cumulative CHD indicators with depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Additionally, we investigate potential interactions and joint associations of CHD and lifestyles on depressive symptoms. MethodsIn the second phase of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescents’ Mental and Behavioral Well-being Research, data on depressive symptoms, CHD indicators, lifestyle factors, and other covariates were collected from 3106 students (mean [SD] age, 15.16 [1.52] years). Linear and logistic mixed-effects models were employed, with both stratified and joint analyses conducted. ResultsExcept for parental death, each CHD indicator was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. The accumulation of CHD indicators exhibited a positive, graded association with depressive symptoms scores (β = 3.22, 95% CI: 2.48 to 3.97 for one CHD indicator; β = 5.45, 95% CI: 4.41 to 6.49 for two or more CHD indicators, all P < 0.01). A significant interaction was found between the number of CHD indicators and the healthy lifestyle score (interaction β = −0.40, 95% CI: −0.78 to −0.03, P < 0.05), indicating that healthy lifestyles may mitigate the risk of depressive symptoms in individuals experiencing CHD. For example, the OR for having depressive symptoms among adolescents with favourable lifestyles compared with those with unfavourable lifestyles was 0.21 (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.45, P < 0.01) among those experiencing CHD. Moreover, adolescents with two or more CHD indicators and unfavourable lifestyles faced the highest risk of having depressive symptoms (OR = 8.03, 95% CI: 4.83 to 13.34, P < 0.01) compared with those with no CHD indicator and favourable lifestyles. ConclusionsThese findings underscore the importance of promoting comprehensive healthy lifestyles and reducing CHD exposure for the prevention of depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Inequalities and Social Capital as Factors of Subjective Well-Being: Case Study from Western Province, Zambia

Understanding well-being’s complexities, including its subjective and context-dependent nature, is crucial for informing policy decisions and development interventions aimed at enhancing quality of life and reducing poverty. Unfortunately, subjective well-being (SWB) research, particularly in the context of Global South, has received relatively less attention, despite its fundamental importance in the field of human development. This research aims to contribute to the discussion on SWB by examining its association with diverse forms of inequalities and deprivations. Specifically, we investigate the impact of these deprivations, both at the societal and intra-household levels, on SWB among the rural population of the Western Province in Zambia. The study underscores low levels of SWB in the surveyed area. It reveals the impact of intra-household inequalities, demonstrating that the presence of a more educated individual in the household positively affects well-being. On the other hand, having responsibilities related to decision-making power within households diminishes SWB, probably due to related stress and anxiety. As expected, limited access to resources in the household also negatively affects SWB. Our main finding in the realm of societal inequalities revolves around the assertion that fostering social capital through active participation in formal or informal groups significantly enhances SWB. Empowering individuals through education and knowledge sharing, and promoting inclusivity and diversity in social interactions are key strategies that policymakers can adopt to enhance SWB in the Muoyo-Mukukutu area and similar regions.

158 Evaluation of a multi-modal rehabilitation programme for people affected by cancer: the Active Together service

Abstract Purpose Rehabilitation (including prehabilitation) can help cancer patients prepare for and recover well from treatment, improve physical and psychological outcomes, and reduce demand on healthcare resources. Project description Active Together is a novel evidence-based multi-modal rehabilitation service for patients with cancer before, during and after their treatment. It was developed collaboratively by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research charity. The service is personalised to individual needs and includes exercise, nutrition, and psychological support. The service is delivered by a clinical team combining physiotherapists, exercise specialists, dietitians, and clinical psychologists at the AWRC and two community health and exercise facilities, with plans to extend to more sites as the service expands. Since launching in 2022, over 600 patients with either lung, colorectal, or upper gastrointestinal cancer have received support from the Active Together service. The evaluation of the service examines physical and psychological outcomes, alongside healthcare resource use. Service uptake and attrition rates will be examined by demographics such as age, gender, and ethnicity. The evaluation is due be completed in August 2024; therefore, the results will be available for this presentation. Conclusions The evaluation of this service will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the Active Together Service in improving the lives of cancer patients, and addressing the health inequalities and barriers which may prevent someone from accessing the Active Together service. If the evaluation produces positive outcomes, it will support the case for embedding multimodal rehabilitation services within routine cancer care. Funding The Active Together service is funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Reflections on a healthy discipline: Celebrating 50 years of health geography within the Royal Geographical Society

AbstractThis article introduces a special section comprising papers examining the evolution, current state and potential futures of the subdiscipline of health geography. Geographers’ engagement with ‘health’ has transformed from a strict rooting in the ‘(bio)medical’, coinciding with, and contributing to, a paradigm shift emphasising a recognition of health as multifaceted and shaped by everyday experiential spatial practices, rhythms and identities. The development of this area of geographic scholarship, we argue, has been inextricably linked to the simultaneous growth of the Geographies of Health and Wellbeing Research Group (GHWRG) of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), founded in 1972. Celebrating this golden jubilee, the Research Group initiated a project reflecting on how geographical knowledge on health has been produced and the networks that have influenced thinking. This coincided with an additional anniversary, the twentieth iteration of the ‘Emerging and New Researchers in the Geographies of Health &amp; Impairment’, a conference developed to support new conversations relating to geographical scholarship around ‘health’, playing an important role in the development of ideas, scholarship and community since its inception in 1994. In introducing this special section, we underscore the importance of geographic interrogations of health for addressing contemporary challenges and providing interdisciplinary contributions. The articles in the collection delve into conceptual, theoretical and methodological developments that have shaped health geography, featuring work showcasing the breadth and depth of research within the subdiscipline. Complementing these empirical pieces, the special section traces the history of the GHWRG and its contributions, alongside interviews and conversations with scholars who have played pivotal roles in shaping the evolution of the subdiscipline. Overall, we are keen to celebrate health geography scholarship, question how academic networks shape thinking about interrelationships between health and place, and reflect on potential future directions for geographical scholarship on health and wellbeing.

Arthur Grimes: A Pioneer in Applied Subjective Wellbeing Research

Arthur Grimes: A Pioneer in Applied Subjective Wellbeing Research

The hidden footprint of Engagement: discovering its effects on Workplace Stress and Hiding Feelings

n this paper we examine the relationships between employee engagement, stress and concealment of feelings in the workplace. This exploration sheds light on the intricate dynamics at play, providing a comprehensive understanding of these elements and their interactions. By exploring these relationships, we contribute to a more accurate understanding of the impact of engagement on employee well-being. While most of the evidence focuses on uncovering the positive effects of engagement at work, some evidence and research also suggests that engagement may have a dark side on well-being at work. To explore these relationships, our research employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on data from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) conducted by Eurofound, using a consistent sample of 1,007 employees in Greece. Although a significant negative effect is observed between engagement and stress, as suggested by mainstream and previous research, the model finds positive associations between engagement and hiding feelings, and between hiding feelings and stress. Additionally, the results highlight variations based on control variables such as sector and gender, indicating that the impact of engagement on stress and concealment of emotions can differ across different work environments and between genders. These findings allow for a better understanding of the potential effects of engagement, helping to re-evaluate human resource management interventions and opening up alternative avenues in well-being research.

EXPRESS: Advancing employees’ mental health and psychological wellbeing research in hospitality and tourism: Systematic review, critical reflections, and future prospects

This study conducts a systematic review and analysis of the research landscape concerning the mental health and psychological wellbeing (MHPW) of employees in the hospitality and tourism sector. Comprehensive bibliometric analysis, intellectual network mapping, and critical qualitative content analysis were performed utilizing a dataset of 184 relevant articles. From these analyses, eight critical reflections were derived, and future research agenda were outlined. These agenda include exploring positive enhancers of MHPW, advocating for holistic conceptualizations of MHPW, encouraging cross-cultural and interdisciplinary collaborations, assessing the impacts of technology on mental health, developing industry-specific assessments, diversifying research methodologies with multidisciplinary theories, conducting multi-level analyses of influencing factors, and investigating the pandemic's long-term impact on career perceptions and mental health reforms within the industry. Findings offer pivotal directions for future research and aim to advance the understanding and enhancement of MHPW in the global hospitality and tourism workforce through impactful scholarship.

Being as Having, Loving, and Doing: A Theory of Human Well-Being

Academic Stronger theory on the nature of human well-being is needed, especially as well-being indicators are increasingly utilized in policy contexts. Building on Erik Allardt, who argued that a theory of well-being is, in essence, a theory of human nature, I propose four modes of existence each capturing one dimension central to human well-being: Having recognizes humans as biological creatures requiring certain material resources for survival. Loving captures human social nature and our dependence on others for well-being. Doing highlights the active and agentic nature of human existence. Being acknowledges humans as experiencing their existence. Each mode of existence gives rise to a few more specific needs, and a full assessment of human well-being requires both subjective and objective indicators tapping into these needs. The proposed theory integrates psychological well-being research with sociological and philosophical traditions and contributes to debates about how the progress of nations and sustainability should be measured. Public Well-being is something we all value individually, and it is also a key political goal. Accordingly, how we define and measure well-being influences what physicians, managers, policy-makers, politicians, and international organizations aim to improve through their work. Better theories of well-being make better measurement of well-being possible, which makes possible more effective and evidence-based advancement of human well-being. In this spirit, the present article argues that there are four fundamental dimensions to human well-being: Having highlights that as biological creatures, we have physical needs, loving highlights human social needs, doing highlights that we are active and agentic beings with goals and strivings, and being highlights that we feel and evaluate our lives. To assess well-being, we need measures tapping into all four of these dimensions. And to assess the sustainability of well-being, we need to examine how to provide well-being for all humanity while remaining within planetary boundaries.

The impact of vacations on urban women's well-being from the perspective of feminist urbanism

Vacations are known to foster well-being outcomes, yet few researchers have accounted for the influence of individual attributes such as gender, residential setting, or cultural context. As a result, there is a noticeable gap in the well-being literature concerning well-being outcomes for female travelers whose subjectivities have been shaped in as well as by their residential environment (urban) and culture. Using qualitative inquiry informed by the feminist urbanism perspective, this study uncovered urban Chinese women's cognitive representations of well-being outcomes from vacations. Findings revealed that vacations provide liberation from cultural constraints, boosting of social bonds and relationship building, enabling reflection on life and personal identity, and fostering learning and personal growth. Our findings, which integrated a feminist urbanism perspective that allowed for the influence of context (e.g., culture) as well as gender, partly overlap with existing research but also introduced new cognitive representations of well-being that advance well-being research.

LOCAL WELLBEING INDEX: THEORETIC MODEL AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY VALIDATION

The article contains a description of the development process of Local Wellbeing Index (LWBI) by the Rating Lab research laboratory for urban and rural settlements. The first part of the text is dedicated to building a theoretical model based on publications from sociological and psychological fields, which studied one’s wellbeing in settlements The models and studies of urban research, psychological and emotional parameters of wellbeing of residents of settlements, sustainability of well-being, provision of basic needs in the settlement and cities as zoned spaces were used a basis for the study. The following part depicts the results of constructing an empirical model for LWBI measurements built based on conducting of two waves of testing surveys on small-scale samples. The final model consists of 22 indicators which are distributed across five dimensions – emotional perception of a settlement, the level of economic opportunities, the level of orderliness of a settlement, the level of education and medicine, and the level of civil security in a settlement. The third stage of our study covered the measurement of LWBI in Ukrainian settlements based on the results of a national representative survey (n=8572). The retrieved data was used to validate the methodology we developed according to the parameters of the model’s reliability, criterion, and construct validity. Such methods as correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the checks of data’s applicability to the data were applied to achieve the results. Overall, we have managed to confirm the validity of our measurement tool and its suitability for research projects aimed at measuring the levels of local wellbeing in urban and rural settlements.