Forward from Foresight: the uses of the new economics foundation's well‐being work

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to first introduce, and then review the uses of, the Five Ways to Well‐being communication messages and the dynamic model of well‐being, developed by the new economics foundation (nef) for the 2008 Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing.

Design/methodology/approach

The article describes an informal review of those uses of the Five Ways to Well‐being and the dynamic model of well‐being which have come to nef's attention.

Findings

The Five Ways to Well‐being messages are found to have been widely used, both in public health and a variety of other settings. They have been used: to directly promote well‐being to individuals; to help frame organisational strategy; and indirectly, in initiatives with headline objectives other than promoting well‐being. A number of examples of their use are given in different contexts. The dynamic model of well‐being is shown to be a deep influence on nef's continuing well‐being work and the work of those influenced in turn by nef, particularly in ensuring that policy and practice takes account of both external conditions as well as personal resources; and of people's feelings as well as their functioning.

Practical implications

Future directions for nef's work are highlighted, particularly measurement of involvement in the Five Ways to Well‐being activities and exploration of the ways in which different well‐being measures impact on policy.

Originality/value

The article provides, for the first time, an overview of how nef's contributions to the Foresight Project have been used since their publication, and will be of interest to those in a range of policy and practice settings who value real‐life examples of the implementation of a “well‐being approach”.

Citation

Michaelson, J. (2013), "Forward from Foresight: the uses of the new economics foundation's well‐being work", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 98-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-03-2013-0009