In The Political Economy of Human Happiness: How Voters’ Choices Determine the Quality of Life, Benjamin Radcliff considers a wide variety of data from North America and Europe and argues that, on balance, welfare state policies make people happier. In short, there is a positive correlation and a causal relationship between happiness and welfare state provisions. This is an important conclusion for anyone interested in public policy and debates about the size of government. In their reviews, Larry M. Bartels and William A. Galston take issue with Radcliff’s thesis. They challenge the relationships that Radcliff suggests exist between specific policies and happiness. Bartels challenges the way Radcliff uses his statistics to support his thesis about the relationship between happiness and specific policies as well as our ability to make generalisations from the data. Galson’s objections to Radcliff’s analysis and argument is more conceptual, and, among other things, he challenges the connection Radcliff seeks to establish between happiness and the satisfaction of human needs.

Previous scholarship has shown evidence of a positive relationship between volunteering and improved measures of mental and physical wellbeing. It has also been suggested that volunteering may help individuals navigate transitions between different life stages by encouraging them to become more involved in their communities, thereby building new social connections and improving networks of social support. Using Waves 2 and 3 of panel data from the Midlife in the United States Survey, we examined whether volunteering can buffer against the negative effects of low self-esteem on correlates of psychosocial wellbeing in adults from mid- to later-life. Results indicated that participation in volunteering mitigates the negative effects of adults’ low self-esteem on their sense of belonging and life satisfaction. In particular, we determined the adverse effect of negative self-esteem at time T1 on our wellbeing measures (belonging to the community and life satisfaction) at T2 above and beyond the effects of the same measures at T1 and the covariates. Furthermore, we found positive evidence for the moderating influence of volunteering on the relationship between negative self-esteem and both measures of wellbeing, although the effect was stronger for life satisfaction than for belonging. These conclusions suggest that volunteering acts as a buffer for ageing adults, with possible public health implications.

This article analyzes the role of three antecedents of life satisfaction (LS) among healthcare volunteers in Malaysia. The antecedents are: personality traits, motives to volunteer, and spiritual capital. This study has empirically tested the impact of individual dimensions of personality traits, motives, and spiritual capital along with their inter-relationships in explaining the LS. The volunteers of St. John Ambulance participated in this study. The model has been tested using structural equation modeling and it has been found that the three constructs have an explanatory power of 53 %. The main results are: (1) neuroticism, value motives, protective motives, personal well-being, and spirituality have a direct impact on LS and (2) enhancement motives, social motives, and religiosity have an indirect impact on LS. These results can provide insights to researchers and managers regarding profiling the right volunteers, providing the necessary infrastructure, and providing proper training to the volunteers.

Aging in the twenty-first century presents a multifaceted global challenge, demanding subtle understanding for effective solutions. Shifting from merely extending life expectancy, active aging seeks to enrich the quality of later life, aiming to boost the well-being and life satisfaction of older individuals. As demographic and familial structures evolve, the involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in aging affairs emerges as a pivotal force within civil society. These NGOs, operating across diverse countries and regions, undertake a spectrum of activities. Such activities bring considerable benefits to both physical and mental health of older individuals. Through a meticulous review of 31 studies from Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases, this study delves into the multifaceted roles of NGOs in promoting active aging. It uncovers three primary contributions: care services, lifelong learning, and volunteer engagement. Furthermore, this research critically examines the status and challenges faced by NGOs in advancing active aging principles, probing their impact on the life satisfaction of older adults. By elucidating these insights, this study offers collaborative pathways for future social policy enhancements in aging.

This paper investigates the effect of volunteering on quality of life (QoL) in 50+ populations across European countries and Israel. We analyzed data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Using the Kendall tau-b correlation coefficients, we show that the extent of effect volunteering has on quality of life is nonlinearly related to the prevalence of volunteering in a given country. The relationship follows an inverted-U-shaped curve. In countries where volunteering is the most popular (Denmark, Switzerland, and Belgium) and in countries with the lowest rates (Poland, Greece, the Czech Republic, and Spain), the correlation between volunteering and one’s quality of life is low. The correlation is high in countries with medium levels of volunteering (Austria, Italy, and Israel). Moreover, volunteering affects more internal than external domains of QoL. These new insights extend the discussion started by Haski-Leventhal (Voluntas Int J Volunt Nonprofit Organ 20:388–404, 2009). Our study is correlational, and we do not claim causality.

We examine the impact of volunteering and charitable donations on subjective wellbeing. We further consider if the model of the volunteering work (formal vs. informal) and the geographical location of the charity organisation (local vs. international) people donate to has any impact on subjective wellbeing. Using UK’s Community Life Survey data, we find that volunteering and engagement in charity are positively associated with subjective wellbeing, measured by individual life satisfaction. We show that while there is a positive effect of volunteering and charity on life satisfaction, the level of utility gained depends on the type of charity or volunteering organisation engaged with (i.e. local or international). Specifically, donating to local (neighbourhood) charities as opposed to international/national charities is associated with higher wellbeing. Similarly, engaging in informal volunteering, compared to formal volunteering, is associated with higher wellbeing. To explain our results, we use the construal-level theory of psychological distance, which suggests that people think more concretely of actions and objects that they find spatially and socially close.

In the social sciences and policymaking, life satisfaction surveys are increasingly taken as the best measure of wellbeing. However, the life satisfaction theory of wellbeing (LST) barely features in philosophers’ discussions of wellbeing. This prompts two questions. First, is LST distinct from the three standard accounts of wellbeing (hedonism, desire theories, the objective list)? I argue LST is a type of desire theory. Second, is LST a plausible theory of wellbeing? I raise two serious, underappreciated objections and argue it is not. Life satisfaction surveys are useful, but we should not conclude they are the ideal measure of wellbeing.

Plant-based diets may improve mental health among older adults by alleviating depression and improving life satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the associations between plant-based dietary pattern trajectories (PDPT), depression and life satisfaction in Chinese older adults. Data of participants from the 2008–2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey were analysed. We utilised group-based trajectory modelling to identify the PDPT. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyse the associations between PDPT, depression and life satisfaction. In total, 1835 participants were divided into three groups based on plant-based dietary index (PDI), healthy plant-based dietary index (HPDI) or unhealthy plant-based dietary index (UPDI) trajectories, respectively, and the PDPT were maintained at stable levels. PDI trajectory was not significantly associated with depression or life satisfaction. HPDI trajectory had no significant association with depression. However, compared with low HPDI trajectory, participants in the high (β = 0·185, 95 % CI: 0·032, 0·337) HPDI trajectories had higher life satisfaction. Compared with the low UPDI trajectory, participants in the high UPDI trajectory groups were associated with a higher risk of depression (OR = 1·793, 95 % CI: 1·124, 2·861). Further, the medium (β = −0·145, 95 % CI: −0·273, −0·018) and high (β = −0·335, 95 % CI: −0·478, −0·191) UPDI trajectory were associated with poor life satisfaction. Dietary interventions should be prioritised to address the persistent unhealthy dietary habits among Chinese older adults, with particular emphasis on reducing UPDI to enhance mental health by promoting intake of healthy plant-based and animal-based foods while avoiding unhealthy plant-based foods.

This article investigates the life satisfaction consequences of migration through unique comparisons of “settler” migrants spanning three family generations and multiple European destinations with their “stayer” and “returnee” counterparts based in the origin country of Turkey. The data are drawn from 5,980 personal interviews conducted as part of the pioneering 2000 Families Survey. The results show that despite being monetarily the most impoverished across all destinations and generations studied, the settlers tend to be more satisfied with their lives than the “stayers” and the “returnees.” However, a downward trend is observed among younger generations, irrespective of their migration status and country context. The results confirm the significance of poverty and asset status for migrants’ and their descendants’ appraisal of life, as well as highlighting the independent effect of the context. Strikingly, however, those residing in countries with more generous welfare states proved not necessarily to be more satisfied.

This study employed a person-centred approach to investigate the digital divide in South Korea and its impact on life satisfaction among individuals. Six latent profiles were identified based on the following factors: digital device literacy, social capital, and digital self-efficacy. These factors denote different levels of the digital divide, highlighting the multifaceted nature of this issue and the importance of considering multiple factors that contribute to inequality. Additionally, sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, and educational level were found to play a role in determining group membership, emphasising the need to understand the underlying causes of the divide. Variations in life satisfaction among the groups emphasise their different effects on well-being. The findings can be used to inform targeted policies and interventions to bridge the digital divide in South Korea. To that end, this study provides data for designing tailored education, social networking, and support policies for vulnerable groups.

This study addresses a significant knowledge gap in the literature by examining the relationship between religious involvement and subjective wellbeing (SWB) among older adults in Taiwan, a cultural context that has been underrepresented in existing research, with a focus on gender and age differences. Using data collected in Taichung City in 2017 (N = 645), this study measured religious involvement through religious affiliation, religiosity and frequency of religious participation, and assessed SWB via life satisfaction and happiness. Findings revealed no significant association between religious involvement and life satisfaction. However, religious participation was positively correlated with happiness. Gender differences were observed: Buddhism and Taoism were positively associated with life satisfaction among males, whereas religiosity and religious participation were significantly related to life satisfaction and happiness among females. Age disparities were also found, with religiosity significantly relating to both life satisfaction and happiness in the old-old group (70–89 years) but not in the young-old group (60–69 years). These findings highlight the nuanced associations between religious involvement and SWB, emphasising the importance of considering gender and age variations in future research. Future studies should further explore the cultural contexts that shape these relationships and examine other potential mediating factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how religious involvement influences wellbeing across different demographic groups.

We compared Ed Diener’s Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), which was designed as a purely cognitive measure of global life satisfaction, with the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales 3.1, which provides self-report measures of Panksepp’s six primary emotions (excluding LUST), in two English-speaking samples: a main sample and a hold-out validation sample. Our data showed robust negative correlations between higher satisfaction with life and lower FEAR, lower SADNESS/Separation Distress, and positive associations (albeit less strong) between higher satisfaction with life and higher PLAY and SEEKING in both samples. The relationships between the SWLS and at least four of Panksepp’s primary emotions suggest Diener’s SWLS is not purely cognitive and includes a strong affective component. In addition, detailed analysis of the negative correlation between the SWLS and the ANPS 3.1 SADNESS scale provides insight into the importance of the low arousal end of the SADNESS/Separation Distress brain system and supports the idea of a continuum of psychological states from high SADNESS including loneliness and depression to low SADNESS psychological states characterized by social comfort, self-confidence, and social strength.

In this study, we examined the patterns of subjective well-being (SWB) measures among pregnant women and quantified the extent to which pregnancy intendedness is associated with low SWB measures during pregnancy. We analyzed data from the 2021 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey comprising 3,491 pregnant women. The associations between pregnancy intention and low SWB measures (unhappiness, low life satisfaction [LS] and diminished optimism) were determined by fitting series of multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts. Among pregnant women in our sample 20%, 37.5% and 9.6%, reported being unhappy, experiencing low LS and having diminished optimism, respectively. However, we found no significant association between pregnancy intention and being unhappy (mistimed: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.88–1.60; unwanted: aOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.71–1.91), experiencing low LS (mistimed: aOR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.83–1.37; unwanted: aOR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.69–1.65) and having diminished optimism (mistimed: aOR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.82–1.82; unwanted: aOR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.56–2.04). Findings from the study suggest that pregnant women in Nigeria who reported having either a mistimed or unwanted pregnancy were just as likely to report being unhappy, experience low LS and have diminished optimism as women whose pregnancy was intended.

Limited studies have evaluated the impact of recreation on successful ageing (SA) for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in a longitudinal manner. Most existing SA models emphasise biomedical-based dimensions of physical functioning, which has been criticised as unrealistic and limited, especially for people with disabilities. Various researchers and organisations have proposed that SA needs to be reassessed using more self-perceived, self-reported measurements. Understanding long-term life satisfaction predictors for individuals ageing with SCI is still limited, particularly when including longitudinal recreation participation data. This study, based on Rowe and Kahn's SA model and utilising self-reported measurements, observes the long-term changes in self-reported health status, recreation participation time and social integration levels, and evaluates the long-term impacts of these predictors on life satisfaction among individuals with SCI. The sample comprises individuals with SCI (N = 11,450) who are at least 45 years old at the time of injury or have lived with their injury for over 15 years. Results indicate that when ageing with SCI, life satisfaction increases over time, but their recreation time, social interactions and self-perceived health status decline. Moreover, regular participation in recreational activities, engagement in and maintenance of certain levels of social relationships, and high self-evaluation of health can positively impact life satisfaction during ageing. The study explores the feasibility of using self-perceived measurements to replace biomedical-based variables in Rowe and Kahn's SA model and examines their impacts on life satisfaction among people ageing with disabilities. In the future development of SA models, researchers can incorporate more self-reported, self-evaluated assessment variables to better capture the ageing experience, especially for people with disabilities.