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Hsu WC, Huang NC, Li CL, Hu SC. Exploring determinants of flourishing: a comprehensive network analysis of retirees in Taiwan. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1939. [PMID: 39030506 PMCID: PMC11264847 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19466-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human flourishing is an emerging concept, extending beyond the conventional boundaries of subjective well-being and evolving into a comprehensive capture of the diverse dimensions of human life within complex societal structures. Therefore, moving away from traditional approaches centered on the single latent construct, this study aims to explore the multiple aspects of human flourishing and the intricate interplay of their contributing factors. METHODS Data were collected from the Health and Living Environments Survey of Taiwanese Retirees during 2023 (valid sample n = 1,111). Human flourishing was measured using the Secure Flourish Index developed by Harvard University, which includes 12 indicators: (1) life satisfaction, (2) happiness, (3) mental health, (4) physical health, (5) meaning in life, (6) sense of purpose, (7) promoting good, (8) delaying gratification, (9) content relationships, (10) satisfying relationships, (11) financial stability, and (12) material stability. A mixed graphical network analysis was employed to analyze the related determinants, divided into four groups: (a) sociodemographic factors, (b) physical functions and health status, (c) social and family engagement, and (d) community environmental characteristics as nodes. RESULTS We analyzed 31 variables and identified 133 nonzero edges out of 465 potential connections in the comprehensive network. Results showed that happiness and promoting good were the two most critical indicators influencing retirees' overall flourishing. Different flourishing indicators were also associated with various influential factors. For instance, personal characteristics, especially gender and education, emerged as central factors. Family caregiving negatively affected happiness and financial stability, whereas social engagement was positively associated with life satisfaction and meaning in life. Employment status had mixed effects, negatively associated with life satisfaction but positively associated with mental health. Community environments, such as a sense of community and neighborhood safety, generally enhanced flourishing. However, the accessibility of neighborhood resources was paradoxically associated with material stability, pointing to the complexity of environmental factors in human flourishing. CONCLUSION This study provides a comprehensive network analysis that reveals intricate connections between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors, offering profound insights for targeted interventions to foster human flourishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chen Hsu
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Nuan-Ching Huang
- Healthy Cities Research Center, Innovation Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Lin Li
- Healthy Cities Research Center, Innovation Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Susan C Hu
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Weziak-Bialowolska D, Bialowolski P. Helping and Volunteering During COVID-19: Associations With Well-Being and Psychological Distress. Am J Prev Med 2024; 66:645-654. [PMID: 37993015 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Salutogenic effects of volunteering and helping activities have been well recognized in the pre-COVID-19 era. This study examines associations between helping others as well as additional volunteer activities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and 6 psychological distress and well-being outcomes one year later. METHODS Longitudinal data collected between 2019 and 2021 were used. Analyses were based on data from 42,005 middle-aged and older adults from 27 European countries who participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and two SHARE Corona Surveys. Prospective associations were examined using generalized estimating equations. A series of secondary analyses and the sensitivity of the associations to unmeasured confounding provided evidence for the robustness of results. All analyses were conducted in December 2022. RESULTS Helping others outside one's home in the first wave of COVID-19 was associated with subsequent increased risks of depression and anxiety. It was concurrently associated with an increased probability of an uplifting, hope, and happiness-inducing experience. Engagement in volunteer activities conducted in addition to helping was found to be prospectively associated with higher probability of an uplifting experience, but not with depression and anxiety. These associations were independent of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, personality traits, prior quality of life and health history as well as pre-COVID-19 engagement in altruistic activities. CONCLUSIONS Helping and volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic likely led to positive experiences. However, a negative impact on psychological distress of the same activities was also noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska
- Centre for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland; Human Flourishing Program, Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | - Piotr Bialowolski
- Human Flourishing Program, Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Economics, Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland
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Cowden RG, Pargament KI, Wilkinson R. Divine struggles and whole person functioning: a 9-year longitudinal study of middle-aged U.S. adults. Psychol Health 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38311908 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2024.2309162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This longitudinal study examined the associations of divine struggles with 25 psychological distress, psychological well-being, social well-being, prosociality, physical health, and health behavior outcomes assessed approximately nine years later. METHODS We used three waves of data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N = 4041): M1 (1995-1996), M2 (2004-2006), and M3 (2013-2014). Following the analytic template for outcome-wide longitudinal designs, our primary analysis employed a series of regression models to estimate the associations between a continuous measure of divine struggles assessed at M2 with each outcome assessed at M3. All models adjusted for a rich set of covariates, including prior values of all outcomes. RESULTS There was modest evidence suggesting that divine struggles were associated with worse subsequent functioning on one or more outcomes for each domain except health behaviors (effect sizes were generally very small). CONCLUSIONS Divine struggles have the potential to degrade long-term functioning across multiple domains of life. Practitioners should attend to and address divine struggles in their clinical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Cowden
- Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth I Pargament
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - Renae Wilkinson
- Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Wilkinson R, Cowden RG, Chen Y, VanderWeele TJ. Exposure to negative life events, change in their perceived impact, and subsequent well-being among U.S. adults: A longitudinal outcome-wide analysis. Soc Sci Med 2023; 324:115861. [PMID: 36989835 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Negative life events have the potential to undermine an individual's ability to function and thrive, but less is known about the implications of changes in subjective appraisals of those events for long-term well-being. This research examines how exposure to negative life events and subsequent changes in the perceived impact of those events are related to longer-term well-being in adulthood. METHOD Drawing on three waves of data from the Midlife in the United States study (M1: 1995-1996, M2: 2004-2006, M3: 2013-2014), we applied the analytic template for outcome-wide longitudinal designs to investigate associations of (a) negative life event exposure between M1 and M2 and (b) change in the perceived impact of negative life event exposure assessed at M2 with 25 outcomes across several domains of well-being assessed approximately 9 years later at M3: psychological distress, psychological well-being, social well-being, prosociality, physical health, and health behavior. RESULTS Whereas negative life event exposure was associated with worse subsequent well-being on selected outcomes (5/25 in total) in some domains, positive change in the perceived impact of negative life event exposure was associated with better well-being on one or more outcomes in most domains (11/25 in total). Effect sizes in both sets of analyses were generally small, with more consistent associations found for psychological and social outcomes. CONCLUSION Subjective appraisals of negative life events (particularly positive changes in those appraisals over time) may be more closely related to individual well-being in the long run than mere exposure to negative life events themselves. The findings bring attention to the possibility that positive changes in a person's subjective appraisal of negative life events could have beneficial consequences for long-term well-being.
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Cowden RG, Nakamura JS, de la Rosa Fernández Pacheco PA, Chen Y, Fulks J, Plake JF, VanderWeele TJ. The road to postpandemic recovery in the USA: a repeated cross-sectional survey of multidimensional well-being over two years. Public Health 2023; 217:212-217. [PMID: 36924673 PMCID: PMC10010931 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Examine differences in multidimensional well-being from before (January 2020) to three timepoints during the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020, January 2021, January 2022). STUDY DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional design. METHODS Nationally representative cross-sectional cohorts of US adults completed the Secure Flourish Index before (January 2020 cohort: N = 1010) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020 cohort: N = 3020; January 2021 cohort: N = 3366; January 2022 cohort: N = 2598). We estimated differences in indicators, domains, and composite well-being between the January 2020 cohort and each of the subsequent cohorts. We also explored whether changes in well-being between January 2020 and January 2022 varied based on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS Initial declines in well-being observed by June 2020 were largely followed by a return to prepandemic levels in January 2022, with some exceptions. Notably, general declines in mental health have persisted through to January 2022. On the other hand, there was evidence of general improvements in character & virtue that exceeded prepandemic levels in January 2022. Young adults and racial/ethnic minorities reported lower financial & material stability in January 2022 compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Although there are promising signs that the well-being of US adults has mostly recovered to prepandemic levels, a coordinated response is urgently needed to support population mental health and the financial security of vulnerable groups. As society continues the journey toward postpandemic recovery, continued tracking of multidimensional well-being will be important for making informed decisions about public health priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Cowden
- Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - J S Nakamura
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Y Chen
- Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Fulks
- American Bible Society, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Evangel University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - J F Plake
- American Bible Society, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - T J VanderWeele
- Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Cowden RG, Seidman AJ, Duffee C, Węziak-Białowolska D, McNeely E, VanderWeele TJ. Associations of suffering with facets of health and well-being among working adults: longitudinal evidence from two samples. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20141. [PMID: 36418921 PMCID: PMC9684157 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Suffering is an experiential state that every person encounters at one time or another, yet little is known about suffering and its consequences for the health and well-being of nonclinical adult populations. In a pair of longitudinal studies, we used two waves of data from garment factory workers (Study 1 [T1: 2017, T2: 2019]: n = 344) and flight attendants (Study 2 [T1: 2017/2018, T2: 2020]: n = 1402) to examine the prospective associations of suffering with 16 outcomes across different domains of health and well-being: physical health, health behavior, mental health, psychological well-being, character strengths, and social well-being. The primary analysis involved a series of regression analyses in which each T2 outcome was regressed on overall suffering assessed at T1, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic characteristics and the baseline value (or close proxy) of the outcome assessed at T1. In Study 1, associations of overall suffering with worse subsequent health and well-being were limited to a single outcome on each of the domains of physical health and mental health. Overall suffering was more consistently related to worse subsequent health and well-being in Study 2, with associations emerging for all but two outcomes. The pattern of findings for each study was largely similar when aspects of suffering were modeled individually, although associations for some aspects of suffering differed from those that emerged for overall suffering. Our findings suggest that suffering may have important implications for the health and well-being of worker populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G. Cowden
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHuman Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Andrew J. Seidman
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Charlotte Duffee
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHuman Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Dorota Węziak-Białowolska
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHuman Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XSustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA ,grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Centre for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Eileen McNeely
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XSustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Tyler J. VanderWeele
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHuman Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
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VanderWeele TJ, Case BW, Chen Y, Cowden RG, Johnson B, Lee MT, Lomas T, Long KG. Flourishing in critical dialogue. SSM - MENTAL HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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