Wellbeing

Collectively, the research presented in this book revisits, challenges, and rearticulates taken-for-granted wellbeing conceptualisations, policies and intervention frameworks, as critical discussion of wellbeing in relation to children and young people from a variety of socio-cultural, political, and economic settings is still relatively sparse. The contributions work synergistically to generate a sophisticated understanding of children’s wellbeing while introducing fresh and context-sensitive approaches.

Collectively, the research presented in this book revisits, challenges, and rearticulates taken-for-granted wellbeing conceptualisations, policies and intervention frameworks, as critical discussion of wellbeing in relation to children and young people from a variety of socio-cultural, political, and economic settings is still relatively sparse. The contributions work synergistically to generate a sophisticated understanding of children’s wellbeing while introducing fresh and context-sensitive approaches.

This brief defines student wellbeing and outlines seven evidence-informed pathways that schools can take to promote student wellbeing and develop their school as an enabling institution. The acronym PROSPER is applied as an organizer for both the psychological elements of wellbeing and for these Positive Education pathways. These pathways focus on encouraging Positivity, building Relationships, facilitating Outcomes and a sense of competence, focusing on Strengths, fostering a sense of Purpose, enhancing Engagement and teaching Resilience. Each pathway draws on both the principles of positive psychology and the educational research that identifies the impact of each pathway for student learning. The benefits of a school-wide focus on student wellbeing for student engagement in learning and their success in school and in life are outlined. Practical guidelines for the development and implementation of educational policy that has student wellbeing as its central focus are also provided.

This book argues that some aspects of mental health practice have become mechanical, joyless and uninspiring, leading to a loss of creativity and wellbeing. A high level of wellbeing is essential to mental health and contemporary mental health care – and creativity is at the heart of this.

Around the world, governments are starting to directly measure the subjective wellbeing of their citizens and to use it for policy evaluation and appraisal. What would happen if a country were to move from using GDP to using subjective wellbeing as the primary metric for measuring economic and societal progress? Would policy priorities change? Would we continue to care about economic growth? What role would different government institutions play in such a scenario?