The power and potential of wellbeing

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The power and potential of well-being 16th May
2007 East Midlands Public Health
Conference, Nottingham Nic Marks centre for
well-being, nef (the new economics foundation)
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Who are nef?

• An independent UK think-tank (founded 1986)
• Inspired by 3 principles
• Ecological Sustainability
• Social Justice
• Peoples Well-being
• Well-being programme set up in 2001 to address
  question What would policy look like if peoples
  well-being was its aim?
• centre for well-being - 2006

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Power Potential of Well-being

• What do we mean by well-being?
• Measuring well-being
• Findings and theories from the science of
  well-being
• Health, inequalities and well-being
• Investing in well-being

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What do we mean by well-being?

• Well-being Peoples experience of their quality
  of life
• WHO definition of health as
• A state of complete physical, mental and social
  well-being, and not merely an absence of disease
  or infirmity 1946

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What do we mean by well-being?

• Well-being Peoples experience of their quality
  of life
• WHO definition of health as
• A state of complete physical, mental and social
  well-being, and not merely an absence of disease
  or infirmity 1946

dynamic
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Measuring Personal Well-being
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Measuring Personal Well-being
Feelings
Pleasure
Meaning
Functionings
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Measuring Personal Well-being
Feelings
Satisfaction
Pleasure
Development
Meaning
Functionings
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Measuring Personal Well-being
Happiness
Feelings
Satisfaction
Pleasure
Depression
Excitement
Curiosity
Development
Interest
Meaning
Functionings
following Joar Vittersø, Marty Seligman, Robert
Lane .
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Measuring Personal Well-being
Happiness
Feelings
Satisfaction
Pleasure
Well-being?
Depression
Excitement
Curiosity
Development
Interest
Meaning
Functionings
following Joar Vittersø, Marty Seligman, Robert
Lane .
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What do we mean by well-being?

• Well-being Peoples experience of their quality
  of life
• Feeling good AND doing well
• A 1960s definition of self-esteem

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Well-being data

• Most data is limited to Life Satisfaction, but it
  is pretty robust and useful.
• Converges with other measures
• Predicts peoples behaviour consistently
• Many predictors are malleable to policy

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GDP and Life Satisfaction A Challenge to the
Political Status Quo
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Well-being data

• Most data is limited to Life Satisfaction, but it
  is pretty robust and useful.
• Converges with other measures
• Predicts peoples behaviour consistently
• Many predictors are malleable to policy
• But note averages hide a lot of variance.
  Micro-data illuminates this as well as
  challenging set-point theory adaptation.

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Micro data Widowhood and Well-being
Year of Widowhood
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Micro data Divorce and Well-being
Year of Divorce
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Micro data Marriages and Well-being
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Happiness in the UK
- as measured by life satisfaction
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Happiness in the UK
- as measured by life satisfaction
Depressed?
At risk?
Resilient?
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Where does our happiness comes from?
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Where does our happiness comes from?
Genes Parenting Early Years
Doing well Relationships, engagement, expressing
yourself and healthy thinking
Income Marital Status
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Power Potential of Well-being

• What do we mean by well-being?
• Measuring well-being
• Findings and theories from the science of
  well-being
• Health, inequalities and well-being
• Investing in well-being

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Health, inequalities and well-being

• Lots of evidence that happier people
• Live longer
• Less chronic illnesses
• Lower probability of using acute services
• Absorb health information better
• Are Nuns !!

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The famous Nuns Study
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Happier Nuns Live Longer!
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Regional Happiness

• Region Life Satisfaction
• Yorks/Humberside 7.68
• North East 7.65
• West Midlands 7.64
• East Anglia 7.62
• North West 7.53
• South West 7.48
• South East 7.48
• East Midlands 7.31
• London 7.08

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Happiness varies by place
Yorkshire Humberside
North East
West Midlands
East Anglia
North West
South West
South East
East Midlands
London
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Happiness varies by place
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Happiness varies by place
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Neighbourhood QoL also varies by place
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Power Potential of Well-being

• What do we mean by well-being?
• Measuring well-being
• Findings and theories from the science of
  well-being
• Health, inequalities and well-being
• Investing in well-being

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Investing in well-being

• Overall population interventions
• Identifying the at risk groups
• Treating ill-being
• Recognising the differences between people and
  the need for different interventions

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Happiness in the UK
- as measured by life satisfaction
Depressed?
At risk?
Resilient?
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Investing in well-being
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Investing in well-being
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Investing in well-being

• Overall population interventions
• Green space, community facilities, service
  provision
• Quality employment opportunities good jobs and
  good employers
• Investing in, working with the at risk groups
• Co-production of well-being
• Community well-being coaches?
• Self-organizing systems that support and
  challenge people (Local Alchemy, BizzFizz and
  Time Banks)

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Investing in well-being

• Treating ill-being and psychological distress
• Counseling services, CBT
• Promoting well-being and treating people as
  individuals
• Tailored interventions
• Intrinsic motivations

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• Contact Details Nic Marks
• nic.marks_at_neweconomics.org
• Other reports downloadable from
• www.neweconomics.org
• Chasing Progress MDP
• Power Potential of W-B indicators
• Well-being Manifesto
• Well-being and Environment
• Spoiled Ballot democracy and well-being
• Happy Planet Index www.happyplanetindex.org