Current recommendations on the selection of measures for well-being

Area of Science:

• Psychological Science
• Social Science Research Methods

Background:

• Numerous well-being measures exist, leading to confusion for researchers.
• A lack of clear guidance complicates the selection of appropriate measurement tools.
• Context-specific recommendations are needed for effective well-being assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide evidence-based recommendations for selecting well-being measures.
• To guide researchers in choosing the most suitable instruments for different data collection contexts.
• To address the proliferation of well-being assessment tools and offer practical solutions.

Main Methods:

• An interdisciplinary workshop convened experts to discuss well-being measurement.
• Recommendations were developed based on the current state of knowledge and available measures.
• Considerations included survey item count, data collection purpose, and study type (e.g., government surveys, cohort studies, psychological well-being studies).

Main Results:

• A framework of recommendations for choosing well-being measures across diverse contexts.
• Guidance tailored to factors such as survey length and specific research objectives.
• Consideration of different application areas including general population surveys and specialized psychological research.

Conclusions:

• The recommendations aim to assist researchers, particularly those new to the field.
• The guidance is intended to stimulate further discussion and refinement in well-being measurement.
• This work provides a practical starting point for selecting appropriate well-being assessment tools.