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Measures of well-being have proliferated over the past decades. Very little guidance has been available as to which measures to use in what contexts. This paper provides a series of recommendations, based on the present state of knowledge and the existing measures available, of what measures might be preferred in which contexts. The recommendations came out of an interdisciplinary workshop on the measurement of well-being. The recommendations are shaped around the number of items that can be included in a survey, and also based on the differing potential contexts and purposes of data collection such as, for example, government surveys, or multi-use cohort studies, or studies specifically about psychological well-being. The recommendations are not intended to be definitive, but to stimulate discussion and refinement, and to provide guidance to those relatively new to the study of well-being.

Educational institutions exist in reciprocal relations with broader social and moral ecologies. These ecologies involve interactions of networks of individuals and groups with wider aspects of culture, and are therefore broadly social, and they contain explicit or implicit content with regard to right and wrong, and are therefore moral. There is growing recognition that educational institutions could do more to promote full flourishing for students, teachers, staff, society, and planet, but there has been relatively little attention to the role played by such social and moral ecologies in fostering this desired change. This paper argues that ecosystem stewards can inspire and lead educational institutions in this direction by loving more fully into being a cultural climate that promotes morally good forms of ecosystem-wide flourishing. This includes an exploration of a systems perspective in order to encourage a more intentional and skillful integration of healthy social and moral influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An individual's flourishing is sustained by and dependent on their community's well-being. We provide one of the first studies of a measure of communal subjective well-being, focusing on individuals' relationships with their community. Using two samples from the Greater Columbus, Ohio region, we provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the Subjective Community Well-being (SCWB) assessment. The five domains of the SCWB are Good Relationships (α =.92), Proficient Leadership (α =.93), Healthy Practices (α =.92), Satisfying Community (α =.88), and Strong Mission (α =.81). A community-based sample (N = 1,435) and an online sample of Columbus residents (N = 692) were scored on the SCWB and compared across domains. We found evidence that the SCWB scores differentiate between active and less active community members. We discuss the appropriate uses of the SCWB as a measure of well-being and provide recommendations for research that could profitably utilize the SCWB measure to examine community well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives The Stress Management and Relaxation Training—Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (SMART-3RP) is a mind–body group intervention that integrates relaxation training with cognitive behavioral and positive psychology techniques. This study assessed SMART-3RP feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy for enhancing resilience and flourishing among older adults in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Research Design and Methods We conducted a prospective single-arm study of SMART-3RP groups delivered by clinicians at 4 CCRCs (n = 80). Eligible residents lived in community apartments. Participants completed pre- and postintervention surveys. We evaluated attendance (hypothesis: ≥60% attend ≥6 of 9 sessions), enrollment, and retention. Mixed methods were used to explore acceptability. Paired samples t -tests were conducted to explore changes in resilience, flourishing, and key intervention targets. Results From March to June 2021, we screened 89 residents with 87 (98%) consenting to participate and 80 (90%) enrolling in the study. Among 80 participants (85% female; 98% non-Hispanic White; M age = 80 years [ SD = 6]), 88% attended ≥6 sessions, and 89% completed the postintervention survey. Participants found meaning in participation and practiced skills in the context of challenges such as caregiving burden or bereavement. Survey results, showing increases in resilience, flourishing, and several intervention targets, aligned with participants' perceived intervention value. Discussion and Implications SMART-3RP was feasible and acceptable for CCRC residents; participants perceived value in practicing mind–body strategies in a group-based setting. Preliminary evidence suggested a pattern of improvements in resilience, flourishing, and intervention targets. Findings provide insights for mind–body interventions and recommendations for adaptations to late-in-life concerns and community settings. Clinical Trials Registration Number NCT04720014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This reflective essay advances a model of transformative education based on the collaborative experiences of a professor and three students who sought greater opportunities for flourishing through reflective and contemplative methods in an instructor-created open space. Open space derives from research in education, child psychology, and anthropology and emphasizes an integration of cognitive, affective, and experiential forms of learning in a context of freedom and creativity. This may involve moving outside the walls of the standard classroom, extending learning activities beyond the confines of the semester, blurring the roles of student and teacher in order to cocreate opportunities for deeper learning, and flexibility with regard to syllabi and traditional boundaries of academic disciplines. Open space approaches offer more room for students and faculty to exercise their authenticity and imaginations, thereby promoting greater self-discovery, transformative growth, and other valued aspects of a flourishing life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on flourishing has advanced despite limited knowledge about the extent to which flourishing domains are actually valued. This paper examines support for six flourishing domains – emotional health, physical health, purpose, character strengths, social connectedness, and financial security. A survey of 2,370 randomly sampled employees of a large, national, self-insured employer, demonstrated that these domains are nearly universally valued. A two-factor model, which fit the data best, suggested the presence of two distinct dimensions of material and psychosocial well-being importance. Women and men ranked the six domains in the same order, though women ranked each more highly than men. Having a daily spiritual practice was the strongest predictor of importance for all domains but financial security. The importance of the domains of well-being was associated with the self-reported experience of the domains of well-being. The importance of character strengths had the highest correlations with the experience of all domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures of well-being have proliferated over the past decades. Very little guidance has been available as to which measures to use in what contexts. This paper provides a series of recommendations, based on the present state of knowledge and the existing measures available, of what measures might be preferred in which contexts. The recommendations came out of an interdisciplinary workshop on the measurement of well-being. The recommendations are shaped around the number of items that can be included in a survey, and also based on the differing potential contexts and purposes of data collection such as, for example, government surveys, or multi-use cohort studies, or studies specifically about psychological well-being. The recommendations are not intended to be definitive, but to stimulate discussion and refinement, and to provide guidance to those relatively new to the study of well-being. • Measures of well-being have proliferated, but there is little guidance on what to use. • What well-being measures are most appropriate depends on context and space. • Short well-being inventories are available for government surveys and cohort studies. • Longer comprehensive inventories are available for studies of subjective well-being. • Even single well-being items can be helpful and recommendations are given accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]