Cited by 246Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionPsychometric Methodologies and TestingHealth, psychology, and well-being

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 35 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Well-being measurement and the WHO health policy Health 2010: systematic review of measurement scales

Open access

Lindert, Jutta, Bain, Paul A., Kubzansky, Laura D., Stein, Claudia·2015·The European Journal of Public Health

DOI 10.1093/eurpub/cku193

Open this paper in CoChat — free account Open PDF

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Subjective well-being (SWB) contributes to health and mental health. It is a major objective of the new World Health Organization health policy framework, 'Health 2020'. Various approaches to defining and measuring well-being exist. We aimed to identify, map and analyse the contents of self-reported well-being measurement scales for use with individuals more than 15 years of age to help researchers and politicians choose appropriate measurement tools. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed for studies published between 2007 and 2012, with additional hand-searching, to identify empirical studies that investigated well-being using a measurement scale. For each eligible study, we identified the measurement tool and reviewed its components, number of items, administration time, validity, reliability, responsiveness and sensitivity. RESULTS: The literature review identified 60 unique measurement scales. Measurement scales were either multidimensional (n = 33) or unidimensional (n = 14) and assessed multiple domains. The most frequently encountered domains were affects (39 scales), social relations (17 scales), life satisfaction (13 scales), physical health (13 scales), meaning/achievement (9 scales) and spirituality (6 scales). The scales included between 1 and 100 items; the administration time varied from 1 to 15 min. CONCLUSIONS: Well-being is a higher order construct. Measures seldom reported testing for gender or cultural sensitivity. The content and format of scales varied considerably. Effective monitoring and comparison of SWB over time and across geographic regions will require further work to refine definitions of SWB. We recommend concurrent evaluation of at least three self-reported SWB measurement scales, including evaluation for gender or cultural sensitivity.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1093/eurpub/cku193

Cites

34 of 34 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

The satisfaction with life scale
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13 · Cited by 31,768
Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress.
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276 · Cited by 12,910
Positive psychology: An introduction.
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.5 · Cited by 11,351
Subjective well-being. The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index
Diener, E. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.34 · Cited by 7,121
Social Indicators of Well-Being
Andrews, F. M., & Withey, S. B. (1976) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-2253-5 · Cited by 4,920
Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires
McDowell, I., & Newell, C. (1987) · Cited by 4,207
Personality, Culture, and Subjective Well-Being: Emotional and Cognitive Evaluations of Life
Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Lucas, R. E. (2002) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145056 · Cited by 3,802
The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): Development and general psychometric properties
The Whoqol Group (1998) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(98)00009-4 · Cited by 3,802
Two conceptions of happiness: Contrasts of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia) and hedonic enjoyment.
Waterman, A. S. (1993) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.64.4.678 · Cited by 3,220
Know thyself and become what you are: a eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being
Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. H. (2008) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-006-9019-0 · Cited by 3,149

Show all 35 references

Research works printed but not linked: 8

WHO European Ministerial Conference on Mental Health. Mental Health Action Plan for Europe. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2005.
10.1037//0033-2909.125.2.276 · DOI · Paper page
10.1037/0882-7974.4.2.195 · DOI
10.1037//0022-3514.64.4.678 · DOI
Maslow AH . Toward a Psycholgy of Being. 3rd edn. Hoboken: Wiley & Sons; 1999.
Frankl VE . The spiritual dimension in existential analysis and logotherapy. J Individ Psychol 1959;15:157-65.
10.1037//0022-3514.76.4.662 · DOI · Paper page
Perrin E . Med Outcomes Trust Bull. 1995; IV. SAC instrument review process.

Sorted by citations

Review of 99 self-report measures for assessing well-being in adults: exploring dimensions of well-being and developments over time
Linton, M.-J., Dieppe, P., & Medina-Lara, A. (2016) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010641 · Cited by 638
“31 However, not all have used systematic methods for identifying measures.”
Method
Emotional Well-Being: What It Is and Why It Matters
Park, C. L., Kubzansky, L. D., Chafouleas, S. M., Davidson, R. J., Keltner, D. J., Parsafar, P., Conwell, Y., Martin, M. Y., Hanmer, J., & Wang, K. H. (2022) · Affective Science · doi:10.1007/s42761-022-00163-0 · Cited by 347
Self-citation
The Relationship Between Satisfaction With Life and Depression Symptoms by Gender
Gigantesco, A., Fagnani, C., Toccaceli, V., Stazi, M. A., Lucidi, F., Violani, C., & Picardi, A. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00419 · Cited by 140
“In 2013, European member-states agreed on a single measure, life satisfaction, for monitoring the progress of SWB in the World Health Organization’s health policy framework, “Health 2020” (12).”
Background
Factors Affecting Life Satisfaction of Older Adults in Turkey
Çeli̇k, S. Ş., Çeli̇k, Y., Hikmet, N., & Khan, M. M. (2017) · The International Journal of Aging and Human Development · doi:10.1177/0091415017740677 · Cited by 90
“Independent variables that were more likely to affect life satisfaction were determined based on a literature review (Arun & Cakiroglu, 2013; Bowen et al., 2015; Hyde et al., 2003; Lindert et al., 2015; Maher et al., 2015; McNamee & Mendolia, 2014; Meadow et al., 1992; Mollaoglu et al., 2010; Netuveli et al., 2006; Oi…”
Method
Psychometric Properties of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index among Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Three Countries
Lara‐Cabrera, M. L., Betancort, M., Muñoz-Rubilar, C. A., Novo, N. R., Bjerkeset, O. A., & Cuevas, C. D. L. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph191610106 · Cited by 71
“As a part of the quality of life (QoL) concept, well-being is measured via diverse self-rated scales, although no consensus exists on a gold standard [3,4].”
Background
Biometric Data as Real-Time Measure of Physiological Reactions to Environmental Stimuli in the Built Environment
Persiani, S. G. L., Kobaş, B., Koth, S. C., & Auer, T. (2021) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en14010232 · Cited by 67
“Needing more objective parameters to evaluate the quality and efficacy of wellbeing conditions and interventions, SWB has been further broken down into concepts that include more measurable and objective factors [20,22].”
BackgroundMethod
A cross-cultural perspective on feeling good in the context of foods and beverages
Sulmont‐Rossé, C., Drabek, R. B., Almli, V. L., van Zyl, H., Silva, A. P., Kern, M., McEwan, J. A., & Ares, G. (2018) · Food Research International · doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2018.12.012 · Cited by 58
Understanding Wellbeing Among College Music Students and Amateur Musicians in Western Switzerland
Philippe, R. A., Kosirnik, C., Vuichoud, N., Williamon, A., & von Roten, F. C. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00820 · Cited by 69
“Keywords: wellbeing, quality of life, health, college music students, amateur musicians, Switzerland INTRODUCTION Wellbeing is a major preoccupation for the World Health Organization (WHO), as outlined in the policy program Health 2020 (Lindert et al., 2015).”
Background
The reliability and validity of the Chinese Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale in the general population of Hong Kong
Sun, Y., Luk, T. T., Wang, M. P., Shen, C., Ho, S. Y., Viswanath, K., Chan, S. S. C., & Lam, T. H. (2019) · Quality of Life Research · doi:10.1007/s11136-019-02218-5 · Cited by 59
A systematic review of mental health measurement scales for evaluating the effects of mental health prevention interventions
Breedvelt, J., Zamperoni, V., South, E., Uphoff, E., Gilbody, S. M., Bockting, C., Churchill, R. C., & Kousoulis, A. A. (2019) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckz233 · Cited by 54
Influence mechanism of job satisfaction and positive affect on knowledge sharing among project members
Sang, L., Xia, D., Ni, G., Cui, Q., Wang, J., & Wang, W. (2019) · Engineering Construction & Architectural Management · doi:10.1108/ecam-10-2018-0463 · Cited by 52
Patient-reported outcome measures for life engagement in mental health: a systematic review
McIntyre, R. S., Ismail, Z., Watling, C. P., Weiss, C., Meehan, S. R., Musingarimi, P., & Thase, M. E. (2022) · Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s41687-022-00468-5 · Cited by 48
“In addition, the SLR identified two prior reviews of ‘wellbeing’ scales (using a very broad definition of well-being that included quality of life, physical well-being, and health), which found 99 and 60 PROs respectively [6, 7].”
Background
Priority Areas for Adolescent Health Measurement
Guthold, R., Moller, A., Adebayo, E., Carvajal-Vélez, L., Ekman, C., Fagan, L., Ferguson, J., Friedman, H. S., Bâ, M. G., Hagell, A., et al. (2021) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.12.127 · Cited by 47
“We then aligned them with health areas of existing frameworks for monitoring of health determinants [23e25]; the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease for health behaviors and risks [22]; the Global Strategy forWomen's, Children's and Adolescents' Health 2016e2030 [26]; the Global Acce…”
The Effectiveness of Multi-Component Interventions on the Positive and Negative Aspects of Well-Being among Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
He, J., Wang, J., Zhong, H., & Guan, C. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19126973 · Cited by 49
“spiritual (sense of purpose in life) aspects [6,7], and it reflects not only the relative absence of some undesirable outcomes but also the presence of positive aspects [8].”
Background
Patient-reported well-being: psychometric properties of the world health organization well-being index in specialised community mental health settings
Lara-Cabrera, M. L., Mundal, I. P., & De Las Cuevas, C. (2020) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113268 · Cited by 37
What are the solutions for well-being and burn-out for healthcare professionals? An umbrella realist review of learnings of individual-focused interventions for critical care
Adnan, N. B. B., Dafny, H. A., Baldwin, C. E., Jakimowicz, S., Chalmers, D., Aroury, A. M. A., & Chamberlain, D. J. (2022) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060973 · Cited by 47
Peer victimisation during adolescence and its impact on wellbeing in adulthood: a prospective cohort study
Armitage, J. M., Wang, A., Davis, O. S. P., Bowes, L., & Haworth, C. M. A. (2021) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10198-w · Cited by 49
How do work organization conditions affect job performance? The mediating role of workers’ well-being
Parent‐Lamarche, A., Marchand, A., & Saade, S. (2021) · Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health · doi:10.1080/15555240.2021.1872382 · Cited by 47
Well-being at work from a multilevel perspective: what is the role of personality traits?
Parent‐Lamarche, A., & Marchand, A. (2019) · International Journal of Workplace Health Management · doi:10.1108/ijwhm-05-2019-0066 · Cited by 36
Measuring Online Wellbeing: A Scoping Review of Subjective Wellbeing Measures
Ong, Z. X., Dowthwaite, L., Vallejos, E. P., Rawsthorne, M., & Long, Y. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616637 · Cited by 48
“One systematic review was identiﬁed from this search (Lindert et al., 2015).”
Background
Understanding and Measuring the Wellbeing of Carers of People With Dementia
Cunningham, N. A., Cunningham, T., & Roberston, J. M. (2018) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gny018 · Cited by 36
“A start date of 2010 was chosen to align with proposed wider conceptualizations of wellbeing as a multidimensional construct and tracking wellbeing over several domains (Lindert et al., 2015).”
Method
Scaling the heights of positive psychology: A systematic review of measurement scales
Ackerman, C. E., Warren, M. A., & Donaldson, S. I. (2018) · International Journal of Wellbeing · doi:10.5502/ijw.v8i2.734 · Cited by 37
“As other researchers have noted, there is no universal definition of wellbeing, let alone a universal scale to measure wellbeing, as it is interpreted and studied variously in the context of relationships, life satisfaction, health, meaning, and spirituality (Lindert et al., 2015).”
Background
Associations Between Psychosocial Well-Being, Stressful Life Events and Emotion-Driven Impulsiveness in European Adolescents
Do, S., Coumans, J. M. J., Börnhorst, C., Pohlabeln, H., Reisch, L. A., Danner, U. N., Russo, P., Veidebaum, T., Tornaritis, M. J., Molnár, D., et al. (2021) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-021-01533-w · Cited by 36
“Generally, different conceptualizations and measures of mental well-being are in place (Lindert et al., 2015); in the present study the concept of psychosocial well-being was closely related to quality of life and subjective well-being (Diener et al., 2009).”
Background
Wellbeing measures for workers: a systematic review and methodological quality appraisal
Jarden, R., Siegert, R. J., Koziol‐McLain, J., Bujalka, H., & Sandham, M. H. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1053179 · Cited by 54
In selecting measures for a comprehensive assessment of well-being, it is essential to include indicators of psychological need satisfaction
Martela, F., & Ryan, R. M. (2021) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101474 · Cited by 29
“However, the expanding number of conceptions of well-being that measure an increasingly wide array of disparate components is a major obstacle for the progress of a comparable and cumulative science of well-being (Lindert et al., 2015; Linton et al., 2016; Martela and Sheldon, 2019).”
Background
Systematic Review of the Use of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index Across Different Disease Areas
Domenech, A., Kasujee, I., Koscielny, V., & Griffiths, C. E. M. (2025) · Advances in Therapy · doi:10.1007/s12325-025-03266-9 · Cited by 30
“As difficult as the definition is, so is selecting a tool to measure well-being, as there are more than 100 questionnaires to choose from [8, 9].”
Protective factors for mental and psychological wellbeing in Australian adults: A review
Heinsch, M., Wells, H., Sampson, D. L., Wootten, A. C., Cupples, M., Sutton, C., & KAY‐LAMBKIN, F. J. (2020) · Mental Health & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2020.200192 · Cited by 28
Mental health groups in high school students and later school dropout: a latent class and register-based follow-up analysis of the Danish National Youth Study
Andersen, S., Davidsen, M., Nielsen, L., & Tolstrup, J. S. (2021) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-021-00621-7 · Cited by 33
“However, there is consensus that being mentally healthy is more than lack of problems and symptoms, and also comprises positive aspects such as general wellbeing, the perception of connectedness and ability to form positive relationships with others [19], high self-esteem, high self-efficacy [20] as well as overall go…”
Background
Who are your Neighbors? Neighbor Relationships and Subjective Well-Being in Japan
Taniguchi, H., & Potter, D. A. (2015) · Applied Research in Quality of Life · doi:10.1007/s11482-015-9445-4 · Cited by 27
Measuring emotional well-being through subjective report: a scoping review of reviews
Koslouski, J. B., Wilson‐Mendenhall, C. D., Parsafar, P., Goldberg, S. B., Martin, M. Y., & Chafouleas, S. M. (2022) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062120 · Cited by 25
Instruments to evaluate mental well-being in old age: a systematic review
Martín‐María, N., Lara, E., Cresswell‐Smith, J., Forsman, A. K., Kalseth, J., Donisi, V., Amaddeo, F., Wahlbeck, K., & Miret, M. (2020) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2020.1774742 · Cited by 29
Daily weather only has small effects on wellbeing in the US
Frijters, P., Lalji, C., & Pakrashi, D. (2020) · Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization · doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2020.03.009 · Cited by 24
Cross-cultural emotional response to food stimuli: Influence of consumption context
Olegário, L. S., Estévez, M., González‐Mohíno, A., et al. (2021) · Food Research International · doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110194 · Cited by 24
Factors Contributing to Resilience Among First Generation Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Systematic Review
Lindert, J., Samkange‐Zeeb, F., Jakubauskienė, M., Bain, P. A., & Mollica, R. F. (2023) · International Journal of Public Health · doi:10.3389/ijph.2023.1606406 · Cited by 28
Self-citation
An evaluation of computerized adaptive testing for general psychological distress: combining GHQ-12 and Affectometer-2 in an item bank for public mental health research
Štochl, J., Boehnke, J. R., Pickett, K. E., & Croudace, T. J. (2016) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0158-7 · Cited by 22
“This has resulted in multi-faceted definitions and new instrument conventions for fieldwork [4] such that more than one instrument is now likely to be included in health or well-being surveys.”
Background
Association of family function and suicide risk in teenagers with a history of self-harm behaviors: mediating role of subjective wellbeing and depression
Chen, M., Yang, Z., Luo, D., Yan, S., Liu, M., Wang, M., Li, X., Yang, B. X., Li, Y., & Liu, L. Z. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1164999 · Cited by 30
“Subjective wellbeing refers to an individual’s satisfaction with material possessions, health, achievements, relationships, safety, social connectedness, and future security (28), which includes emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects (29).”
Background
Translation and Validation of the Malay Version of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index: Reliability and Validity Evidence from a Sample of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients
Suhaimi, A. F., Makki, S. M., Tan, K., Silim, U. A., & Ibrahim, N. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19074415 · Cited by 21
“Variabilities also exist within a wide range of well-being instruments with some authors assessing the positive characteristics of well-being or absence of poor well-being (e.g., the EuroQOL-EQ-5D), whereas others incorporate a multidimensional approach (e.g., the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being) [19].”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Removable orthodontic retainers: practical considerations
Doğramacı, E. J., & Littlewood, S. (2021) · BDJ · doi:10.1038/s41415-021-2893-3 · Cited by 21
Development and Validation of a Comprehensive Well-Being Scale for People in the University Environment (Pitt Wellness Scale) Using a Crowdsourcing Approach: Cross-Sectional Study
Zhou, L., & Parmanto, B. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/15075 · Cited by 20
“Step 1: Collection of Domains and Subdomains From Existing Well-Being Scales Well-being and quality of life scales from six recent review studies were collected [5-8,31,47].”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
The Importance of the Neighbourhood Environment and Social Capital for Happiness in a Vulnerable District: The Case of the Pajarillos District in Spain
Arechavala, N. S., Espina, P. Z., & Pastor, A. T. L. (2021) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-021-00479-x · Cited by 20
“There is, however, no consensus in the literature about whether to include self-rated health as an indicator or as a predictor of subjective welfare (Lindert et al., 2015).”
Background
Multiple negative impacts of marine plastic pollution on tropical coastal ecosystem services, and human health and well-being
Maharja, C., Praptiwi, R. A., Sainal, S., Wulandari, P., Ashley, M., Wyles, K. J., Roy, J., Hendrawan, I. G., Jobling, S., & Austen, M. C. (2024) · Ocean & Coastal Management · doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107423 · Cited by 23
The Conceptions of Quality of Life, Wellness and Well-Being: A Literature Review
Ciziceno, M. (2022) · Social indicators research series · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-93092-9_2 · Cited by 19
Relations between longitudinal trajectories of subjective financial wellbeing with self-rated health among elderly
Piumatti, G. (2017) · Medicina · doi:10.1016/j.medici.2017.09.001 · Cited by 18
Well-being measures for younger children.
Smees, R., Rinaldi, L. J., & Simner, J. (2019) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0000768 · Cited by 19
Stressful Events, Psychological Distress and Well-Being during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Gender Analysis
Aznar, M. P. M., del Pino, M. J., Pérez, J. M. B., & Hernández-Lorenzo, D. E. (2022) · Applied Research in Quality of Life · doi:10.1007/s11482-022-10140-1 · Cited by 18
“There are various approaches to consider the definition and measuring of wellbeing (Cooke et al, 2016; Diener et al., 2017; Lindert et al., 2015; Linton et al., 2016).”
Background
Association of pain management and positive expectations with psychological distress and spiritual well‑being among terminally ill cancer patients admitted to a palliative care unit
Yang, Y., Cui, M., Zhao, X., Wang, S., Wang, Y., & Wang, X. (2023) · BMC Nursing · doi:10.1186/s12912-023-01259-z · Cited by 18
“WHO advocated QoL beyond the physical, psychological and social dimensions, that is the fourth dimension that actively explored in persons with serious illness: spiritual well-being (SWB) [3].”
Background
What is eating well? Capability approach and empirical exploration with the population in Japan
Ueda, H. (2021) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105874 · Cited by 17
Informing the measurement of wellbeing among young people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa for policy evaluations: a mixed-methods systematic review
Govindasamy, D., Seeley, J., Olaru, I. D., Wiyeh, A. B., Mathews, C., & Ferrari, G. (2020) · Health and Quality of Life Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s12955-020-01352-w · Cited by 18
Creativity Policy, Partnerships and Practice in Education
Asquith, S., Wang, X., & Abraham, A. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-96725-7 · Cited by 18
The Scientific Study of Life Satisfaction and Religion/Spirituality
Krumrei-Mancuso, E. J., & Lorona, R. T. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10274-5_19 · Cited by 18
Multi-trajectory group profiles of well-being and associated predictors among adults experiencing homelessness and mental illness: findings from the At Home/Chez Soi study, Toronto site
Mejía-Lancheros, C., Lachaud, J., Aubry, T., Wiens, K., O'Campo, P. J., Stergiopoulos, V., & Hwang, S. W. (2021) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-021-02093-x · Cited by 17
“Psychological, self-perceived health, quality of life, spirituality, social relations, and life satisfaction are subjective aspects of well-being [3, 4].”
Background
A collaborative application of design thinking and Taguchi approach in restaurant service design for food wellbeing
Rejikumar, G., Ajitha, A. A., Jose, A., & Mathew, S. (2021) · Journal of Service Theory and Practice · doi:10.1108/jstp-12-2020-0284 · Cited by 17
Environmental Displacement and Mental Well-Being in Banjarnegara, Indonesia
Burrows, K., Pelupessy, D. C., Khoshnood, K., & Bell, M. L. (2021) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp9391 · Cited by 15
“Economic factors are often included in over-arching well-being frameworks (Lindert et al. 2015) and are associated with mental health (Syrén et al. 2020), but they are not commonly incorporated as central components of mental well-being (Rose et al. 2017).”
Death education for Palliative care: a european project for University students
Testoni, I., Ronconi, L., Orkibi, H., Biancalani, G., Raccichini, M., Franchini, L., Keisari, S., Bucuță, M. D., Cieplinski, K., Wieser, M. A., et al. (2023) · BMC Palliative Care · doi:10.1186/s12904-023-01169-6 · Cited by 18
“In line with the conception of health of the World Health Organization (WHO) as a harmony between the somatic, psychological and social dimensions [4, 5], PC aims to relieve patients’ suffering and increase their quality of life as well as that of their families, thanks to the specific knowledge and skills of the heal…”
Background
Alcohol use, psychological distress, and subjective well-being among young adult university students: A cross-national study between Serbia and Italy
Piumatti, G., Lietz, F., Aresi, G., & Bjegovic-Mikanovic, V. M. (2018) · Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse · doi:10.1080/15332640.2017.1417186 · Cited by 15
“…from a multidimensional perspective assuming that although this is a complex construct comprehending several factors (Gallagher, Lopez, & Preacher, 2009), a synthesis of different personal fulfilment aspects in a unidimensional factor model of well-being is plausible (Lindert et al., 2015).”
Background
The role of literary festival attendance in generating attendees' health and well-being
Rossetti, G. (2021) · International Journal of Event and Festival Management · doi:10.1108/ijefm-12-2020-0083 · Cited by 15
Validation of Chinese version of the 5-item WHO well-being index in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients
Du, J., Jiang, Y., Lloyd, C. E., Sartorius, N., Ren, J., Zhao, W., Wei, J., & Hong, X. (2023) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-023-05381-9 · Cited by 13
“Thus, WHO-5 can be also used as a reliable screening tool for depression, as confirmed in various studies related to diabetes with good psychometric properties [20, 22].”
Method
The Role of Cognitive Complaints in the Relationship Between Trait Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, and Subjective Well-Being and Ill-Being in Adult Community Volunteers
Toyoshima, K., Ichiki, M., Inoue, T., Masuya, J., Fujimura, Y., Higashi, S., & Kusumi, I. (2021) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s303751 · Cited by 13
“Hence, cognitive complaints may have more affinity to SIB, which had a stronger correlation with negative psychological factors than SWB, which correlates with positive psychological factors.(2,3) Furthermore, SWB is considered more stable than SIB, because personality traits have a stronger influence on SWB than SIB.”
Background
Change in Motherhood Status and Fertility Problem Identification: Implications for Changes in Life Satisfaction
Greil, A. L., McQuillan, J., Burch, A., et al. (2019) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12595 · Cited by 13
Binge drinking and well-being in European older adults: do gender and region matter?
Fuentes, S., Bilal, U., Galán, I., Villalbí, J. R., Espelt, A., Bosque‐Prous, M., Franco, M., & Lazo, M. (2016) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckw246 · Cited by 13
Happiness, health, and mortality
Kubzansky, L. D., Kim, E. S., Salinas, J., Huffman, J. C., & Kawachi, I. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)30896-0 · Cited by 14
Self-citation
Sleep Problems and Psychological Well-Being: Baseline Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Rodrigues, R., Nicholson, K., Guaiana, G., Wilk, P., Stranges, S., & Anderson, K. K. (2022) · Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement · doi:10.1017/s0714980822000368 · Cited by 12
The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany
Li, R., Liu, S., Huang, C., Darabi, D., Zhao, M., & Heinzel, S. (2023) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17344 · Cited by 19
“Future studies could investigate other indicators of mental health and stress, such as well-being and life events stressors [72,73].”
Background
Defining well-being in psoriasis: A Delphi consensus among healthcare professionals and patients
Daudén, E., Belinchón, I., Colominas-González, E., Coto, P., de la Cueva, P., Gallardo, F., Poveda, J. L., Herráiz, E. R., Ros, S., Ruíz‐Villaverde, R., et al. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-64738-6 · Cited by 12
“Nevertheless, despite no agreed definition 27 there is broad agreement that well-being encompasses: mental health, functional status, life satisfaction, personal development, positive social relationships, positive emotions, and the absence of negative emotions 22,23 .”
Background
Measuring Eudaimonic and Hedonic Wellbeing: Development and Validation of the Holistic Wellbeing Measure
Arslan, G., & Coşkun, M. (2025) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1080/00223891.2025.2569671 · Cited by 15
“One of the most pressing concerns in this regard is the absence of cultural sensitivity in wellbeing assessments (Lindert et al., 2015).”
The mediation effect of political interest on the connection between social trust and wellbeing among older adults
Piumatti, G., Magistro, D., Zecca, M., & Esliger, D. (2017) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x1700071x · Cited by 12
“measures as health indicators and cost-benefit analysis tools to evaluate public health policies (Lindert et al. 2015; O’Donnell et al. 2014).”
Background
The Handbook of Wellness Medicine
Snellings, J. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108650182 · Cited by 11
Increasing wellbeing through energy demand reduction for net zero: Citizen perceptions of co-benefits of local measures
Mininni, G. M., Foxon, T. J., Copeland, C., Martinez, B. A., Brown, D., Brisbois, M. C., Contreras, G. A. T., Stack-Maddox, S., Lacey‐Barnacle, M., & Jaccarini, C. (2024) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2024.103799 · Cited by 11
The Use of Public Health Indicators to Assess Individual Happiness in Post-Disaster Recovery
Sun, Y., & Yan, T. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16214101 · Cited by 11
“Regarding neighborhood connectedness, its positive impacts on happiness have been verified by numerous studies [12,18,35,41].”
Background
The factorial structure and psychometric properties of the PERMA-Profiler Arabic version to measure well-being within a Palestinian adult population
Mahamid, F., Veronese, G., & Bdier, D. (2023) · Middle East Current Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s43045-023-00282-9 · Cited by 14
“Due to the importance of having tools to measure wellbeing and because definitions and approaches of WB are heterogeneous [16], PERMA-Profiler scale was developed by Butler and Kern [6].”
Method
Evaluating flourishing: a comparative analysis of four measures using item pool visualization
Ploke, V., Batinic, B., & Stieger, S. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1458946 · Cited by 13
“The surge in interest in promoting wellbeing has led to many definitions of this concept and a plethora of questionnaires that claim to capture it (Cooke et al., 2016; Lindert et al., 2015; Linton et al., 2016).”
Thriving and Striving Around the World: A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Relationship Between Achievement Goals and Flourishing
Noordzij, G., van Dam, A., & Born, M. P. (2024) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-024-00828-6 · Cited by 12
“…to measure and define well-being ranging from the positive aspects of well-being to the absence of diseases, from global life-satisfaction to domain specific well-being, from one dimension to multiple dimensions, and from objective to subjective components of well-being (Lindert et al., 2015 ).”
Mapping the stage-specific interactions in rural human settlements: A pathway to understanding rural objective well-being
Huang, Y., Li, Z., Wu, X., et al. (2025) · Applied Geography · doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103713 · Cited by 8
Nourish : A pilot program to support self-Efficacy, learning, and wellness during USMLE step 1 preparation
Sathe, N. C., Carney, P. A., & Furnari, M. (2022) · Medical Education Online · doi:10.1080/10872981.2022.2153781 · Cited by 8
Assessing the well-being of residents in nursing facilities
Schott, N., Johnen, B., & Klotzbier, T. J. (2021) · German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research · doi:10.1007/s12662-021-00776-w · Cited by 8
Socializing Targets of Older Adults’ SNS Use: Social Strain Mediates the Relations Between Older Adults’ SNS Use With Friends and Well-Being Outcomes
Tng, G. Y. Q., & Yang, H. (2022) · Social Media + Society · doi:10.1177/20563051221094768 · Cited by 8
“These include global evaluations of life (i.e., life satisfaction; Myers & Diener, 1995) and domain-specific evaluations of an individual’s social relations with others (e.g., loneliness) and mental health (e.g., depressive symptoms; Hyde et al., 2003; Lindert et al., 2015; Meadow et al., 1992).”
Background
The influence of baby boomers’ perceptions of well-being on their plan to age-in-place post-retirement
Emerson, E. J., Ford, R. C., & Simsek, K. D. (2022) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103295 · Cited by 8
What does it mean to flourish? Piloting the flourishing measure with adolescents and young adults with mood and anxiety disorders
Kelly-Hedrick, M., Lhaksampa, T. C., Chisolm, M. S., & Miller, L. (2022) · Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/13591045221143898 · Cited by 8
“Although numerous well-being measures exist, few have been modi ﬁ ed for adolescents and young adults using a method that ensures acceptability and appropriateness for this population (Lindert et al., 2015; Lippman et al., 2014; Pustilnik, 2019).”
Method
Testing multidimensional well-being among university community samples in Italy and Serbia
Lietz, F., Piumatti, G., Mosso, C., Marinkovic, J., & Bjegovic-Mikanovic, V. (2016) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daw082 · Cited by 10
“A very recent review of self-reported well-being measurement scales by Lindert et al. (2015) listed 60 unique tools, the majority of which are multidimensional but do not pay enough attention to cultural sensitivity.”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Response to “Advancing the Science of Well-Being: A Dissenting View on Measurement Recommendations”
VanderWeele, T. J., Trudel‐Fitzgerald, C., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2021) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197512531.003.0020 · Cited by 8
Self-citation
Evaluating the reliability and validity of the Questionnaire on Well-Being: a validation study for a clinically informed measurement of subjective well-being
Hlynsson, J. I., Sjöberg, A., Ström, L., & Carlbring, P. (2024) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2024.2402992 · Cited by 12
“Numerous instruments have been produced that reliably assess SWB (for a review, see Lindert et al., 2015).”
Toward Digital Self-Monitoring of Mental Health in the General Population: Scoping Review of Existing Approaches to Self-Report Measurement
Koh, Z. H., Serbetci, D., Skues, J., & Murray, G. (2025) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/59351 · Cited by 6
“Most instruments measuring mental well-being and HRQoL found in the present review were also identified in an earlier review by Lindert et al [61] of well-being measurement scales.”
Influential
Life satisfaction components and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A large prospective cohort study
Lin, T.-F., Zhao, Z.-Y., Yuan, C.-Z., Huang, Y., Liu, D., Li, F.-X., Jiang, Y.-W., Li, B., Wei, C., Sha, F., et al. (2024) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.148 · Cited by 7
“I feel happier in myself with the dogs”: the perceived impact of a prison animal programme for well-being
Mercer, J., Davies, E. W., Cook, M., & Bowes, N. (2022) · Journal of Forensic Practice · doi:10.1108/jfp-11-2021-0057 · Cited by 7
Brief hope-building intervention for adults actively experiencing homelessness: effect of participation on dispositional hope, satisfaction with life, and perceived standing in society
Duncan, A. R., Bell, S. B., & Hellman, C. M. (2022) · Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless · doi:10.1080/10530789.2022.2107336 · Cited by 7
“” The Cantril Ladder scale has been used for years by Gallup for wellbeing surveys and has been validated in various populations across the world (Cantril, 1965; Lindert et al., 2015).”
Method
Digital self-report instruments for repeated measurement of mental health in the general adult population: a protocol for a systematic review
Koh, Z. H., Skues, J., & Murray, G. (2023) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065162 · Cited by 7
The Effects of an Equine-Assisted Therapeutic Intervention on Well-Being in Persons Diagnosed with Schizophrenia. A Pilot Study
Cappelen, H., Ivarsson, A., & Jormfeldt, H. (2023) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1080/01612840.2022.2158408 · Cited by 6
“It is generally known that well-being is contributing to healthy aging, mental health, and health in general (Lindert et al., 2015).”
BackgroundMethod
A content validity and cognitive interview to develop the HARMONI items: Instrument measuring student well-being in West Java, Indonesia
Susanto, H., Wedyaswari, M., & Dalimunthe, K. L. (2023) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1132031 · Cited by 14
Psychometric properties of the positive mental health questionnaire: short form (PMHQ-SF18) in young adults
Sequeira, C., Carvalho, J. C., Roldán-Merino, J. F., Moreno‐Poyato, A. R., Teixeira, S. M. A., David, B., Costa, P., Llobet, M. P., & Lluch‐Canut, T. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1375378 · Cited by 6
“There are many instruments to measure well-being or mental health (22), but only fewer addressing a specific area of mental health - positive mental health.”
Effects of sexual orientation‐based prejudice and discrimination in family of origin on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in a Chinese sample: Reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety as moderators
Liu, F., & Chong, E. S. K. (2024) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.13012 · Cited by 8
Expanding the social performance of food production landscapes: measuring health and well-being benefits
Burke, E. (2017) · Landscape Research · doi:10.1080/01426397.2017.1353069 · Cited by 7
The joint impact of symptom deterioration and social factors on wellbeing for people with Parkinson's during the covid-19 pandemic in the UK
Eccles, F. J. R., Garner, I. W., Murray, C. D., Doyle, C., & Simpson, J. (2023) · Journal of the Neurological Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jns.2023.120768 · Cited by 6
Embracing the Ebb and Flow of Life: A Latent Profile Analysis of Impermanence and its Association with Mental Health Outcomes Among Chinese University Students
Liu, F., Wang, Y., Wang, N., Ye, Z., & Fang, S. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02213-5 · Cited by 7
“Its significance as an overall well-being indicator for the general population is underscored by its utilization in the World Health Organization (WHO; Lindert et al., 2015).”
Background
Cognitive complaints mediate the influence of sleep disturbance and state anxiety on subjective well-being and ill-being in adult community volunteers: a cross sectional study
Toyoshima, K., Ichiki, M., Inoue, T., Shimura, A., Masuya, J., Fujimura, Y., Higashi, S., & Kusumi, I. (2022) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-022-12936-0 · Cited by 7
Young Australians’ education and employment transitions: comparing young immigrants’ well-being to their Australian peers
Childs, A. (2018) · Multicultural Education Review · doi:10.1080/2005615x.2018.1460893 · Cited by 5
Research on Physician Burnout and Wellbeing: A Solution-Oriented Perspective
Bogue, R. J., & Downing, N. R. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-15250-5_2 · Cited by 5
Study protocol for evaluating the efficacy of Mindfulness for Health Professionals Building Resilience and Compassion program: a randomized, waiting-list controlled trial
Tamura, N., Park, S., Sato, Y., Takita, Y., Morishita, J., Ninomiya, A., Kosugi, T., Sado, M., Mimura, M., & Fujisawa, D. (2020) · Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice · doi:10.1097/or9.0000000000000022 · Cited by 5
The Impact of Sustainable Policies on Subjective Well-Being in a Developing Nation: The Case of Ecuador
Pacheco-Jaramillo, W. A., & Zaldumbide-Peralvo, D. A. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17104555 · Cited by 4
Toward integrating subjective well-being in environmental health impact assessments for healthy urban living: a conceptual and methodological exploration
Chen, X., Hoek, G., Frijters, P., Dyer, G. M. C., Gössling, S., Khomenko, S., Khreis, H., Kolb, E., Mueller, N., Staatsen, B. A. M., et al. (2026) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2026.110067 · Cited by 4
Urban Regeneration between Well-Being, Social Determinants and Sustainable Development Goals
Battisti, A. (2023) · Green energy and technology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-16182-7_1 · Cited by 4

Authors: Lindert, J., Bain, P. A., Kubzansky, L. D., & Stein, C.
Affiliations: Brandeis University (US)
Harvard University (US)
ORCID: Lindert, Jutta
Bain, Paul A.
Kubzansky, Laura D.
Venue: The European Journal of Public Health
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2015-01-22
Volume: 25
Issue: 4
Pages: 731-740
ISSN: 1101-1262 (ISSN-L)
1464-360X
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cku193
OpenAlex: W2160933378
Cited by: 246
References: 35
Citations by year: 2026: 14 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 76 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2
FWCI: 1.04
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Locations: European Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: World Health Organization
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
Keywords: subjective well-being, self-report measures, health policy, life satisfaction, affect, interpersonal relationships, spirituality, scale reliability and validity, intercultural sensitivity, gender sensitivity
MeSH terms: Female, Health Status, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Mental Health, Personal Satisfaction, Surveys and Questionnaires, World Health Organization, Reproducibility of Results, Spirituality

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Well-being measurement and the WHO health policy Health 2010: systematic review of measurement scales

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Self-check

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks