A longitudinal follow-up study of happiness and meaning-making

"A New Hope" for Positive Psychology: A Dynamic Systems Reconceptualization of Hope Theory

In this review of the central tenets of hope theory, we examine the meta-theoretical, theoretical, and methodological foundations of the literature base. Our analysis moves from a broad examination of the research landscape in hope theory across disciplines, to a deeper investigation of the empirical literature in university students. This review highlights the significant impact of this body of research in advancing our understanding of aspects of thriving characterized by hope. However, we also evidence several limitations that may impede the advancement of the next wave of growth in this field. To address these limitations, we argue for an interdisciplinary approach to expanding the meta-theoretical, theoretical, and methodological horizons, enabling a more dynamic systems approach to the study of hope. Drawing on the intersection of positive psychology with systems thinking, we describe a methodological approach that enables a deeper examination of the processes and interactions through which hope emerges, using an analysis of the lived experience of young people. It is proposed that this research agenda will bring to life an alternate story about the resourcefulness of our youth through their own voice, enabling us to leverage this in the design of more effective strategies to facilitate hope in the future. This research agenda provides a roadmap that will provide alternative methodologies that address the current limitations in the field of hope research and, importantly, can provide fuel to spur on the acceleration of the next wave of research and practice in the field of positive psychology more broadly.

From human wellbeing to animal welfare

What does it mean to be "well" and how might such a state be cultivated? When we speak of wellbeing, it is of ourselves and fellow humans. When it comes to nonhuman animals, consideration turns to welfare. My aim herein is to suggest that theoretical approaches to human wellbeing might be beneficially applied to consideration of animal welfare, and in so doing, introduce new lines of inquiry and practice. I will review current approaches to human wellbeing, adopting a triarchic structure that delineates hedonic wellbeing, eudaimonic wellbeing, and social wellbeing. For each, I present a conceptual definition and a review of how researchers have endeavored to measure the construct. Drawing these three domains of research together, I highlight how these traditionally anthropocentric lines of inquiry might be extended to the question of animal welfare - namely by considering hedonic welfare, eudaimonic welfare, and social welfare as potentially distinguishable and complementary components of the broader construct of animal welfare.

Happiness at the End of Life: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Happiness is a core ingredient of health and well-being, yet relatively little is known about what happiness means for individuals near the end of life, and whether perceptions of happiness change as individuals approach the end of their lives.

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore, through interviews, how individuals experiencing hospice care understood and conceptualized happiness.

DESIGN

Qualitative interviews with hospice patients were analyzed thematically.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients (n = 20) in a New Zealand hospice who were receiving palliative care and who could give their informed consent were invited by hospice nurse coordinators to an interview.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged from analysis of the transcribed interviews. Participants defined happiness most frequently and in most depth in relation to connection with others. They identified being in the present moment, particularly in relation to nature, and that happiness had become less associated with money, status, or possessions. They had an attitude of determination to focus on what mattered now.

CONCLUSION

Patients receiving palliative care were generally happy with their lives, appreciated the simpler aspects of life away from the material. There was a common exhortation to young people to avoid focusing too much on acquisition and the internet and to prioritize instead social connection and engagement with the natural world.

Conceptual model for intensive care nurse work well-being: A qualitative secondary analysis

BACKGROUND

There had been little focus on the well-being of intensive care nurses until a recent programme of research found work well-being to be best described as a collection of elements, a multifaceted construct. Strengtheners of intensive care nurses' work well-being were found to extend across individual, relational, and organizational resources. Actions such as simplifying their lives, giving and receiving team support, and accessing employee assistance programmes were just a few of the intensive care nurses' identified strengtheners.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To synthesize intensive care nurse perceptions of work well-being characteristics and strengtheners to identify opportunities for job crafting and redesign.

DESIGN

This was a qualitative secondary analysis.

METHODS

Intensive care nurse work well-being characteristics and strengtheners were explored using applied thematic analysis and pre-design, open card-sort technique.

RESULTS

Five facets were identified in the analysis: (a) healthy, (b) authentic, (c) meaningful, (d) connected, and (e) innovative. These five facets were described from a theoretical perspective and illustrated as a conceptual model for intensive care nurse job crafting and redesign.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed conceptual model contributes new knowledge to be explored in meaningful discussions about intensive care nurse work well-being and empirically investigated in terms of construct validity and theory development. Furthermore, the model provides practical opportunities to explore individual and collaborative ways to enhance intensive care nurse work well-being across a range of levels.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Opportunities for job crafting and redesign were identified and presented in a conceptual model of intensive care nurse work well-being. This model provides individual nurses, intensive care teams, health care organizations, and workers' well-being programme and policy developers practical opportunities to explore individual and collaborative ways to enhance intensive care nurse work well-being.

Personality, Well-Being, and Cognitive-Affective Styles: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adult Third Culture Kids

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and their adult counterparts (ATCKs) refer to individuals who spent part of their developmental years abroad and are an important demographic to study in this rapidly globalizing world. To date, the bulk of the research on (A)TCKs has been descriptive and little is known about their developmental trajectories in adulthood. The major objective of this study was to examine the personality traits, dimensions of well-being, and cognitive-affective styles of ATCKs across the adult life span using well-validated psychological measures. A subsidiary goal was to develop a new multidimensional international experiences scale to assess levels of multicultural engagement in ATCKs. The participants in this study ( N = 700+; age = 18-80+) were recruited from the Alumni Office of an international school in Japan. Somewhat contrary to how they are often depicted in the news media and in qualitative studies, the ATCKs showed normative changes in personality and well-being in the direction of greater maturity and adjustment during adulthood, with those reporting higher levels of multicultural engagement generally exhibiting a more resilient personality profile, higher levels of well-being, and more adaptive cognitive and affective styles.