The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index: 2004 Update

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The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index 2004 Update

• Robert A Cummins (Deakin University)
• Richard Eckersley (Australian National
  University)
• Erik Okerstrom (Australian Unity)
• Sing Kai Lo (University of Sydney)
• Melanie Davern (Deakin University)
• Bruce Hunter (Deakin University)
• Jacqui Woerner (Deakin University

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Quality of Life
Objective Conditions e.g. Medical Health
Subjective Perceptions e.g. Satisfaction with
health
Objective vs subjective r N.S.
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What is Subjective Wellbeing?

• A positive state of mind that involves the whole
  life experience

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How satisfied are you with your life as a whole?

( Personal Wellbeing Index ) ( Personal Wellbeing Index ) ( Personal Wellbeing Index ) ( Personal Wellbeing Index ) ( Personal Wellbeing Index ) ( Personal Wellbeing Index )

• Standard of living
• Health
• Achieving
• Relationships
• Safety
• Community connectedness
• Future security

Life Domains
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How satisfied are you with your ----?
Jones and Thurstone ,1955 11-point, end-defined
scale
Completely Dissatisfied
Completely Satisfied
Mixed
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 8 9 10


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Percentage of Scale Maximum
SM Converts Likert scale data to a standardized
range from 0 - 100
Original values
0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10


0 0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40 40 50 50 60 60 70 70 80 80 90 90 100 100
Standardized values
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Frequency distribution for subjective QOL
Frequency
0 0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40 40 50 50 60 60 70 70 80 80 90 90 100 100


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Gold Standard for Subjective Wellbeing
75 2.5SM  Range 7080SM
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The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index

• A new systematic measure of subjective wellbeing
• An alternative to objective indicators eg. GDP

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The Australian Surveys

• Geographically representative sample
• N 2,000
• Telephone interview
• 1 April 2001
• 2 September 2001 (immediately following
  September 11)
• ------------
• 12 August 2004

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So, what has been happening to the subjective
wellbeing of Australians over the past 3.5 years?
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Wellbeing in Australia
Strength of satisfaction
Major Events Preceding Survey
Survey Date
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Strength of satisfaction
Major Events Preceding Survey
September 11 Bali Bombing
Survey Date
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gtS2, S4, S5
Strength of satisfaction
Scores above this line are significantly higher
than S1
Major Events Preceding Survey
September 11 Bali
Survey Date
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Personal Wellbeing Index
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gtS2, S4, S5
Strength of satisfaction
Scores above this line are significantly higher
than S1
Major Events Preceding Survey
September 11 Bali Pre- Post- Iraq
Iraq
Survey Date
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gtS2, S4, S5
Strength of satisfaction
Scores above this line are significantly higher
than S1
Major Events Preceding Survey
September 11 Bali Pre- Post- Iraq
Iraq
Survey Date
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gtS2, S4, S5
Strength of satisfaction
Scores above this line are significantly higher
than S1
Major Events Preceding Survey
September 11 Bali Pre- Post- Olympics
Iraq Iraq
Survey Date
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gtS11
gtS2, S4, S5
Strength of satisfaction
Scores above this line are significantly higher
than S1
Major Events Preceding Survey
September 11 Bali Pre- Post- Olympics
Iraq Iraq
Survey Date
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How is subjective wellbeing held so constant?

• Subjective wellbeing Homeostasis

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Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis

• Like the internal management of body temperature
  and blood pressure
• Our sense of satisfaction with our lives is also
  internally managed and held constant

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Homeostasis can be defeated by

• Chronic pain (arthritis)
• Chronic stress (carers)
• Lack of intimacy
• Living conditions (street-kids)
• Incarceration (prisoners)
• Poverty

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The Relationship Between Stress and SWB
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The Relationship Between Stress and SWB

• Dominant Source of SWB Control

Homeostasis
75
SWB
No stress
High stress
Stress
Level of environmental challenge
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Principle 1

• Subjective wellbeing is managed by a homeostatic
  system. This why its measurement is so reliable.
• Therefore, there will be a non-linear
  relationship between any source of stress (ill
  health or physical incapacity) with how people
  feel about the overall quality of their life

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Degree of Stress PWI
satisfaction
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Pain x Personal Wellbeing Index
N 307 48 43 36 37 54 47 40 38 22
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Body Mass Index
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Specific Health Conditions x Personal Wellbeing
Index
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Principle 2

• It CAN NOT be assumed that people who have a
  chronic medical condition have low subjective
  wellbeing
• Even self-reported medical symptoms are extremely
  poor indicators of how people feel about their
  lives generally

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• Homeostatic control is all about the balance
  between the degree of challenge and the level of
  personal resources
• Examples of External Resources
• Money
• Relationships

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Income and the Personal Wellbeing Index(combined
surveys)
Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment Percentage Point Increment

2.0 2.0 0.8 0.8 1.7 1.7 2.0 2.0 0.3 0.3 1.2 1.2
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Significant Increments in PWI
Household Income
The cost of each increment The cost of each increment The cost of each increment The cost of each increment The cost of each increment Points Gained per Point Ratio of per point
lt15 ? 15-30 15,000 2.0 7,500
15-30 ? 61-90 30,000 2.5 12,000 1.6
61-90 ? 200 60,000 3.5 30,000 2.5
Projected (previous ratio2) Projected (previous ratio2) Projected (previous ratio2) Projected (previous ratio2) Projected (previous ratio2) 6.25
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The cost of purchasing a percentage point of
personal wellbeing
1,250,000
1,250,000
200,000
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The Relative Influence of Household Income on the
Personal Domains
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Income x Age (combined data)
Age Specific- Normative range
18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76
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Income x Age (combined data)
Age Specific- Normative range
18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76
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Income x Age (combined data)
Age Specific- Normative range
18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76
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Income x Age (combined data)
Age Specific- Normative range
18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76
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Income x Age x Gender (combined data)
Age Specific- Normative range
18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76
Age
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Income x Household Structure Personal Wellbeing
Index (combined Surveys 9-12)
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Income x Household Structure Personal Wellbeing
Index (combined Surveys 9-12)
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Income x Household Structure Personal Wellbeing
Index (combined Surveys 9-12)
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Income x Household Structure Personal Wellbeing
Index (combined Surveys 9-12)
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Income x Household Structure Personal Wellbeing
Index (combined Surveys 9-12)
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Income x Relationship Status
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Income x Relationship Status
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Income x Relationship Status
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Income x Relationship Status
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Income x Relationship Status
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Income x Relationship Status
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Income x Work Status (combined data)
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Income x Work Status (combined data)
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Income x Work Status (combined data)
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Income x Work Status (combined data)
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Income x Work Status (combined data)
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Conclusion

• Personal wellbeing is very stable
• Most sources of threat do not diminish wellbeing
• Both money and relationships are effective
  buffers against homeostatic defeat
• Household income of lt60,000 places many people
  at risk of homeostatic defeat
• If you are sad and rich, earning an extra
  percentage point of SWB requires a lot of money