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DDeakin Research Online Research Online This is the published version (version of record) of: Cummins, Robert, Eckersley, Richard, Okerstrom, Erik, Lo, Sing Kai, Davern, Melanie, Hunter, Bruce and Woerner, Jacqui 2004, The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index : 2004 update, in 6th Australian Conference on Quality of Life, The Australian Centre on Quality of Life, Deakin University, [Melbourne, Vic.]. Available from Deakin Research Online:

http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30014553 Reproduced with kind permission of the copyright owner. Copyright : © 2004, Deakin University

On the fifth anniversary of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index: what have we learned about

subjective wellbeing?

Robert A. CumminsJacqui WoernerAdrian J TomynAdrian J. TomynT’Meika KnappAdele M Gibson

Australian Centre on Quality of LifeAustralian Centre on Quality of LifeDeakin University

and

Anna L D LauAnna L.D LauDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

This manuscript contains notes below each slide. To view these notes, open i P i ‘Vi d li k ‘N P

Australian Centre on Quality of Life http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol

in Powerpoint , go to ‘View’, and click on ‘Notes Page’

Quality of Lifey

Objective Conditions Subjective Perceptionsje.g. Physical health

j pe.g. Satisfaction with health

Objective QOL Subjective Wellbeing??

www.vermontdairy.com/ice_cream

Two kinds of ‘happiness’

Short-term ‘state’ happinessAn emotional response to something

Enduring ‘trait’ h i /happiness/contentment

A mood with a genetic basis

Subjective wellbeing

What is subjective wellbeing?

A normally positive state of mind that involves the whole life experiencep

Personal Wellbeing IndexInternational Wellbeing Group (2006)

http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol

“How satisfied are you with your -----?”How satisfied are you with your ?

• Standard of livingHealth

( SWB )

• Health• Achieving in life

( SWB )• Relationships• Safety• Community connectedness• Future securityy

The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index SSurveys

Geographically representative nationalsamplesa p e

N = 2,000

Telephone interviewp#1: April 2001

------------#16: Oct 2006

[J d Th t 1955][Jones and Thurstone ,1955]

11-point, end-defined scale

How satisfied are you with your --------?

CompletelyDissatisfied

CompletelySatisfiedMixed

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 8 9 10

We code all data to lie on a range from

Complete CompleteCompletedissatisfaction

Completesatisfaction

0 100

Personal Wellbeing IndexPersonal Wellbeing Index77

>S11

>S2, S4, S576

Scores above this line are significantly

higher than S1

74

75Strengthof

satisfaction

Major eventspreceding

survey

73Sept11

BaliBomb

Pre-IraqWar

Husseindeposed

AthensOlympics

AsianTsunami

SecondBali

Bomb

NewIR

Lawsy

Surveydate

S1Apr

2001

S2Sept2001

S3Mar

2002

S4Aug02

S5Nov02

S6Mar03

S7Jun03

S8Aug03

S9Nov03

S10Feb04

S11May04

S12Aug04

Dec04

S13May05

S14Oct05

March06

S15May06

S16Oct06

Satisfaction with feeling part of your Community

74

73

71

72

Strengthof

satisfaction

>S4, S5, S11

>S1

70

>S1

68

69

S1Apr

S2Sept

S3Mar

S4Aug

S5Nov

S6Mar

S7Jun

S8Aug

S9Nov

S10Feb

S11May

S12Aug

S13May

S14Oct

S15May

S16OctApr

2001Sept2001

Mar2002

Aug2002

Nov2002

Mar2003

Jun2003

Aug2003

Nov2003

Feb2004

May2004

Aug2004

May2005

Oct2005

May2006

Oct2006

Satisfaction with theState of the Natural Environment

63

>S5

61

>S1

59Strength

ofsatisfaction

57 <S1

55S1

Apr2001

S2Sept2001

S3Mar

2002

S4Aug2002

S5Nov2002

S6Mar

2003

S7Jun

2003

S8Aug2003

S9Nov

2003

S10Feb

2004

S11May2004

S12Aug2004

S13May2005

S14Oct

2005

S15May2006

S16Oct

2006

Intense media coverageof ‘global warming’warming

Satisfaction with the Social Conditions

64

>S10

>S1

62

Strengthof

satisfaction

60

58S1

AprS2

SeptS3

MarS4

AugS5

NovS6

MarS7Jun

S8Aug

S9Nov

S10Feb

S11May

S12Aug

S13May

S14Oct

S15May

S16Oct

Introduction of new anti-union

i d t i l

2001 2001 2002 2002 2002 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006

industrial relations laws

Satisfaction with Government

60

>S5,6,7,8,958

>S3,456

Strengthof

satisfaction

GovernmentRe-elected

54

GovernmentRe-elected

50

52

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16

September11

BailBombing

PostIraq War

Olympics Tsunami

S1Apr

2001

S2Sept2001

Nov2001

S3Mar

2002

S4Aug2002

S5Nov

2002

S6Mar2003

S7Jun

2003

S8Aug2003

S9Nov

2003

S10Feb2004

S11May2004

S12Aug2004

Oct2004

Jan2005

S13May2005

S14Oct

2005

S15May2006

S16Oct

2006

Subjective wellbeing homeostasis

I l t th h t tiIn a manner analogous to the homeostatic maintenance of body temperature, we propose a

psychological/neurological homeostatic system thatpsychological/neurological homeostatic system that functions to hold subjective wellbeing steady.

http://kenpope.com/jacob/hi.jpg

Each person (cat) has a set-point for their subjective wellbeing.

90

75Set-point The average set-point

60

range

60

Timehttp://www.mypethaven.com/Images/sad%20cat.gif

Each person (cat) has a

http://kenpope.com/jacob/hi.jpg

Each person (cat) has a set-point for their

subjective wellbeing.

90

75Set-point The average set-point

60

range

60

When nothing much is happening to them People (and cats?) rate howthem, People (and cats?) rate how they feel about their life in terms of their set-point for SWB

Timehttp://www.mypethaven.com/Images/sad%20cat.gif

Challenging wellbeing

Bad SubjectiveBadstuff

Subjective wellbeing

DepressionDepression

Protecting wellbeing

Bad SubjectiveX √Badstuff

SubjectivewellbeingX √

Protective resources(eg. money,

relationships,)

External resources help to protect

p ,)

External resources help to protect wellbeing against negative challenges

Can money buy happiness?Can money buy happiness?

Income and subjective wellbeing81

Total N ≈ 30,000*78.0

*78.3

79.2

78798081

76.3

*76.5

*74.975767778

Subjectivewellbeing * Normal Range

73.0

73.9

71.772737475

Median

7172

<$15 $15-30 $31-60 $61-90 $91-120 $121-150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

Does money buy a better life?

“Has something happened to you recently causing you to feel happier or

sadder than normal?”

Does money buy a better life?

32.435 Happy eventSad event

26.0

32.429.5

28.226.1

30

%

25.122.9

21.3

24.8

20

25%

reportingan

event17.6

15

10<$15 $15-30 $30-60 $60-90 $90+

H h ld I ($'000)Household Income ($'000)

Household Structure and SWBHousehold Structure and SWB80

76.3Normative Range

78.377.3 77.0 76.9

75.3 75.0 74.976

78

73.0

Normative Range

Depression

73.8

72.2

70.370.671.172

74

SWBDepression

risk67.6

66

68

70

66Partner

andparents

Partneronly

Partnerand

children

Partnerchildren

andotheradults

Parentsand

children

Partner,children

andparents

Partnerand

otheradults

Parentsonly

Alone Otheradults

Soleparents

Parentsand

otheradults

Otheradultsand

children

Living with a partner Living without a partner

Mone and Relationships are additi eMoney and Relationships are additive external resources

79 179.1

798081

Living withPartner only

76.7

Normative Range

79.1

77.477.477.3

76.575.4

7576777879

Normative Range

73.4

7172737475

SubjectiveWellbeing

6768697071

6364656667

62<$15 $15-$30 $31-$60 $61-$90 $91-$120 $121-$150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

80.779.178 9

8081

Partner only

Partner & children

76.7

N ti R

79.1

75.476.5

77.3 77.477.4

77.3

78.9

75.9

78.2

7576777879

73.4

Normative Range

72.6

7172737475

SubjectiveWellbeing

70.3

6768697071Wellbeing

6364656667

6263

<$15 $15-$30 $31-$60 $61-$90 $91-$120$121-$150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

80.779.178 9

8081

Partner onlyPartner & childrenSole parent

76.7

Normati e Range

79.1

76.3

77.477.477.3

76.575.4

78.2

75.9

78.9

77.376.5

7576777879

Normative Range

73.472.6

7172737475

SubjectiveWellbeing

70.170.369.6

6768697071e be g

64.16364656667

6263

<$15 $15-$30 $31-$60 $61-$90 $91-$120$121-$150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

How much support do you receive from----?

84.485

76.075.475

80

Strength 67.5

60

65

70Strengthof

support55.2

50

55

60

Partner Family Friends(work)

Friends(general)

Professional

Source of supportpp

Is receiving support always good for wellbeing?Is receiving support always good for wellbeing?

82.68384

PartnerFamily

80.4

80.1 79.2

81.981.9

87980818283 Friends (work)

Friends (general)Professional

Normative range

76.376.275.6 75.1

77.777.7

76.1

73 774.5

74.9

74 474.3

74.77475767778

Subjective73.0

71.470.1

69 2

71.069.9

72.372.873.7

71.4

73.8

70.2

74.572.0

69.2

71.571.7

69 8

74.472.5

74.7

68.9697071727374wellbeing

67.4

69.2

65.766.266.8

69.2

67.567.6

69.869.0

64.9

68.9

6566676869

62.863.8

606162636465

6010 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

Level of support

Level of Support from partner828384

Partner

Level of Support from partner

80.4

7778798081

Normative range

76.3

73.0

76.2

73.87374757677

SWB Never married71.4

70.169.2

70.2

6869707172SWB 72.0Never married

70.6Live alone

67.4

6465666768

62.8

60616263

10 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 010 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

Level of support

Level of support from partner828384

Partner

Level of support from partner

80.4

7778798081

Normative range

76.3

73.0

76.2

73.87374757677

SWB Never married71.4

70.169.2

70.2

6869707172SWB 72.0Never married

70.6Live alone

67.4

6465666768

62.8

60616263

10 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

80%(51%) (15%) (14%)

10 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

Level of support

Wh i llb i hi h ?Where is wellbeing higher?

In the city?http://www.topics-mag.com/edition21/images-life/city.jpg

or in the country?or in the country?

http://www.gov.sk.ca/images/sask-photos/album/1121622170.19374.196546232.jpg

AustraliaAustralia

N S th W lNew South Wales

Above average Below averageAverage

VictoriaVictoria

Ab B lAAbove average Below averageAverage

ConclusionsConclusions

• The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index provides a unique view of the• The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index provides a unique view of the Australian population. It remains the only index in the world monitoring the subjective wellbeing of a population using a standardized instrument.

• The differences in subjective wellbeing can be interpreted in terms of Homeostatic Theory and point to the importance of wealth and relationships as buffers against challenging living conditionsg g g g

• There are significant geographical difference in subjective wellbeing across Australia

• The results from the Index can be used to inform policy in relation to issues of national importance p

• We anticipate that the Index will continue to develop and advance our understanding of how we might increase the life quality of all Australiansg g q y

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