Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being.

Ryff, Carol D.

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069

Cited by 14,847Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionResilience and Mental HealthOptimism, Hope, and Well-being

Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being.

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Ryff, Carol D.·1989·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069

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Abstract

El Bienestar Psicológico ha sido ampliamente abordado en la Psicología; sin embargo, poco estudiado desde la Psicología de las emergencias y desastres. El objetivo de la investigación que dio origen a este artículo fue caracterizar las condiciones de vida y el bienestar psicológico de los adolescentes damnificados por las altas lluvias en Campo de la Cruz, municipio del departamento del Atlántico, como primera fase de un proyecto de intervención. Se realizó una investigación de tipo cuantitativo, descriptivo, en la que participaron 228 estudiantes entre los 13 y los 18 años de edad. Se concluye que después del desastre, un grupo significativo de los adolescentes reporta satisfacción respecto a diversas áreas de la vida, pero señalan falencias en la autonomía y relaciones personales, y no están satisfechos con sus condiciones económicas, ni con los espacios de los que disponen para realizar sus actividades educativas.

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Individuals with a strong sense of purpose also report more meaning in life, self-esteem, happiness, and less stress over competing goals.
“people who endorse a strong sense of purpose in their lives also endorse greater meaning in life, self-esteem, happiness, and less stress about competing goals”
From Commitment to a purpose in life: An antidote to the suffering by individuals with social anxiety disorder. (2013) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989
Well-being has been theorized to follow directly from a life devoted to purpose.
“Well-being has been theorized to be a direct consequence of a life devoted to a purpose in life”
From Commitment to a purpose in life: An antidote to the suffering by individuals with social anxiety disorder. (2013) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989
Other validated measures of wellbeing are also available, such as Ryff's Psychological Wellbeing Scales, the MHC-SF, the Flourishing Scale, or frameworks in which wellbeing is conceptualized as lying at the opposite end of a spectrum of mental illness.
“However, other validated measures of wellbeing are also available, such as Ryff's Psychological Wellbeing Scales (Ryff, 1989), the MHC-SF (Lamers et al., 2011), the Flourishing Scale (Diener et al., 2009), or frameworks in which wellbeing is conceptualized as lying at the opposite end of a spectrum of mental illness (Huppert and So, 2013).”
From Designing for Motivation, Engagement and Wellbeing in Digital Experience (2018) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989
Ryff (1989) stated that there are three interrelated components to psychological well-being: life satisfaction, pleasant affect, and unpleasant affect.
“Ryff (1989) stated that there are three interrelated components to psychological well-being: life satisfaction, pleasant affect, and unpleasant affect.”
From Psychological Well-Being and Its Relationships with Active and Passive Procrastination (2015) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989
Ryff (1989) had indicated that positive aspects of well-being included at least six main variables: sense of autonomy, self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, and environmental mastery.
“For example, Ryff (1989) had indicated that positive aspects of well-being included at least six main variables: sense of autonomy, self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, and environmental mastery.”
From Psychological Well-Being and Its Relationships with Active and Passive Procrastination (2015) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989

The PWB scales encompass 84 items and six dimensions (environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance, and positive relations with others).
“They encompass 84 items and six dimensions (environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance, and positive relations with others) 2 .”
From The pursuit of euthymia (2020) · cites this paper as [2]
The psychological resources in H.O.M.E. are derived from theoretical models underlying third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies, such as the psychological well-being model of Carol Ryff and the VIA classification.
“These resources have been derived from theoretical models at the base of third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies (e.g., mindfulness-based therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, positive psychotherapy, etc.), such as the psychological well-being model of Carol Ryff [36] and the value in action (VIA) classification of the character’s strengths and virtues model”
From Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Efficacy of a Transdiagnostic Virtual Reality-Based Intervention for the Reduction of Unhealthy Lifestyles and Behaviors in the General Population (2023) · cites this paper as [36]
Optimal psychological functioning requires the achievement of self-acceptance, positive relations with others, and a purpose in life, as well as continual personal growth and development of one's fullest potential.
“Optimal psychological functioning not only requires the achievement of self-acceptance, positive relations with others, and a purpose in life, but also continual personal growth and development of one's fullest potential (Ryff, 1989).”
From Interventions that target improvements in mental health for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders: A narrative review (2017) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989
Connectedness with others is universally accepted as an important component of well-being, and this construct features prominently in current psychological theories.
“Connectedness with others is universally accepted as an important component of well-being, and this construct features prominently in current psychological theories. 24-26”
From Physical Activity for Cognitive and Mental Health in Youth: A Systematic Review of Mechanisms (2016) · cites this paper as [25]
Well-being was broadly defined as a multidimensional construct.
“Broadly speaking, however, well-being was defined as a multidimensional construct.130”
From Review of 99 self-report measures for assessing well-being in adults: exploring dimensions of well-being and developments over time (2016) · cites this paper as [130]
The intervention programme was rigorously developed using the theory of the malleability of altruistic behaviours, the PERMA model, and Ryff's psychological wellbeing model.
“The programme was rigorously developed, having as its theoretical framing the theory of the malleability of altruistic behaviours (Böckler et al., 2018), the PERMA model described by Seligman (2012), and the psychological wellbeing model introduced by Ryff (1989) in positive psychology.”
From The benefits of a school intervention for prosocial behaviour and psychological well-being in early adolescents (2025) · cites this paper as Ryff, 1989

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Authors: Ryff, C. D.
Affiliations: University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Corresponding author: Ryff, Carol D.
ORCID: Ryff, Carol D.
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1989-12
Volume: 57
Issue: 6
Pages: 1069-1081
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069
OpenAlex: W1966603703
Cited by: 14,847
References: 63
Citations by year: 2026: 1064 · 2025: 1135 · 2024: 1077 · 2023: 1196 · 2022: 1147 · 2021: 1066 · 2020: 966 · 2019: 788 · 2018: 699 · 2017: 721 · 2016: 627 · 2015: 571 · 2014: 610 · 2013: 522 · 2012: 466
FWCI: 14.96
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
revistascientificas.cuc.edu.co
Licence: cc-by-nc-nd
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
DSPACE System - Metalibrary (University of the Coast) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
Keywords: psychological well-being, happiness, adolescents, natural disasters, heavy rainfall, life satisfaction, autonomy, interpersonal relationships, economic conditions, educational space

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Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being.

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