Eudaimonic Well-Being: Inequality and Health: Recent Advances

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1 Eudaimonic Well-Being: Inequality and Health: Recent Advances Carol D. Ryff Institute on Aging & Department of Psychology University of Wisconsin-Madison Economics, Health, and Happiness Conference University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) Lugano, Switzerland, January 15, 2016

2 Plan of Talk What is eudaimonic well-being (EWB)? Theoretical and philosophical foundations Six key dimensions How does EWB relate to health? [MIDUS] Biological risk factors, morbidity, mortality, & neuroscience: EWB as a protective influence vis-àvis challenges of inequality & aging Well-Being and Intervention well-being therapy and prevention strategies What is missing?

3 Contemporary Indicators of WB in Psychological Research purpose in life personal growth positive relations with others environmental mastery self-acceptance autonomy Eudaimonic (Ryff, 1989, J. of Pers. & Soc. Psych) happiness/pos affect life satisfaction Hedonic (Diener et al., 1999, Psych. Bulletin)

4 Conceptual Foundations of EWB

5 Distant Philosophical Roots Aristotle ( BCE) Nicomachean Ethics What is the highest of all human goods? eudaimonia activity of the soul in accord with virtue What is the highest virtue? achieving the best that is within us, conducting ourselves ethically Alternative hedonia: pursuit of pleasure, satisfying appetites (Epicuris, Arristipus)

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7 Operationalizing Dimensions of EWB Guide: constructoriented approach to personality assessment (D. Jackson s PRF, JPI)

8 Writing Well-Being Items Autonomy (+) I have confidence in my opinions even if they are contrary to the general consensus. (-) I tend to be influenced by people with strong opinions. Environmental Mastery (+) I am quite good at managing the many responsibilities of my life. (-) The demands of everyday life often get me down. Personal Growth (+) I have the sense that I have developed a lot as a person over time. (-) When I think about it, I haven t really improved much as a person over the years.

9 Writing Well-Being Items Positive Relations with Others (+) Most people see me as loving and affectionate. (-) I have not experienced many warm and trusting relationships with others. Purpose in Life (+) I have a sense of direction and purpose in life. (-) I don t have a good sense of what it is I m trying to accomplish in life. Self-Acceptance (+) When I look at the story of my life, I m pleased with how things have turned out. (-) Many days I wake up feeling discouraged about how I have lived my life.

10 Autonomy: marching to one s own drummer Kjeragbolten, Norway

11 Environmental Mastery: managing your external world

12 Personal Growth: making the most of your talents and capacities Imagerie Pellerin d Epinal (19th century)

13 Positive Relations with Others: taking care of your social ties

14 Purpose in Life: finding meaning and direction in your life

15 Self-Acceptance: recognizing and accepting your strengths and weaknesses Self-portrait by Kseniya Beliaeva, woman artist from Belarus

16 25 Years Post Ryff (1989) 500+ publications

17 Topical Areas Psychometric Properties Adult Development & Aging Personality Correlates Family Life Work & Volunteer Engagements Health & Biomarkers Intervention/Clinical Studies Ryff (2014) Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics

18 Why the Widespread Interest? Presumably, it stems from the fact that these phenomenological indicators capture core aspects of what it means to be human: that is, to strive, to be proactive, to make meaning, and as articulated by Aristotle over 2,000 years ago, to pursue the highest good that is within us. (Ryff, 2014) Pursuing ideals of human functioning

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22 Data are publicly available, no permission required. Please use them!

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24 # of MIDUS publications on SWB/PWB: 144

25 Eudaimonia Greets Hedonia hedonic (SWB) & eudaimonic (PWB) well-being related but distinct constructs different correlates/predictors (age, education, personality) JPSP, 2002

26 Protective influence of eudaimonia vis-à-vis challenge (a) Inequality (well-being as moderator) Ryff et al. (2012) Varieties of resilience in MIDUS. Social & Personality Psychology Compass

27 <12(HS) 12(HS) 12+(SC) 16+(C) Education Women Self-Acceptance Purpose in Life Environ. Mastery Positive Relations Personal Growth Autonomy Source: MIDUS I

28 <12(HS) 12(HS) 12+(SC) 16+(C) Education Men Self-Acceptance Purpose in Life Environ. Mastery Positive Relations Personal Growth Autonomy Source: MIDUS I

29 Purpose in Life Psychological Well-Being and Education Five Number Summary N= <12 (HS) 12 (HS) 12+ (SC) 16+ (C) Educational Level Source: MIDUS I

30 Lower educational status higher levels of IL-6 BUT effect is buffered by high psychological well-being Morozink et al., 2010 Health Psychology

31 Lower educational attainment predicts higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) Interleukin-6 marker of inflammation involved in etiology of numerous diseases (cardiovascular, cancer, rheumatological, osteoporosis, Alzheimer s) Educational gradient in IL-6 is moderated by PWB

32 High psychological well-being protects against high IL-6 among the less educated

33 Childhood poverty higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adulthood BUT not among those with high levels of maternal nurturance Miller et al., 2011 Psychological Science

34 Metabolic Syndrome high blood pressure impaired glucose control central adiposity (waist circumference) lipid dysregulation (HDL/LDL cholesterol, triglycerides)

35 High maternal nurturance protects against Metabolic Syndrome among those with less educated parent

36 Protective influence of eudaimonia vis-à-vis challenge (b) Aging (well-being as antecedent) Ryff et al. (2012) Varieties of resilience in MIDUS. Social & Personality Psychology Compass

37 Young Midlife Older Females Per. Growth Autonomy Positive Relations Env. Mastery Self-Acceptance Purpose in Life Source: MIDUS I

38 Young Midlife Older Males Per. Growth Autonomy Positive Relations Env. Mastery Self-Acceptance Purpose in Life Source: MIDUS I

39 Longitudinal Decline (9-10 years) in Purpose in Life 18 Averaged summed score T1 T2 T1 T2 T1 T2 T1 T2 T1 T Age at Time 2 Springer, Pudrovska & Hauser (2011) Social Science Research

40 Purpose in Life mortality & morbidity & preventive health behaviors (well-being as antecedent, longitudinal)

41 Purpose in life buffers against mortality across adulthood (Hill & Turiano, Psych Science, 2014)

42 Earlier evidence that purpose predicts longer lives (Boyle et al., Psychosom Med, 2009)

43 Purpose in life protects against Alzheimer s and mild cognitive impairment. (Boyle et al., Archives Gen Psychiatry, 2010)

44 Purpose in life modifies association between Alzheimer s disease pathology in the brain and cognitive function (Boyle et al., Arch Gen Psych, 2012)

45 Purpose in life reduces risk of myocardial infarction among adults with coronary heart disease (Kim et al., J Behav Med, 2013) Purpose in life reduced risk of stroke (Kim et al., J Psychosomatic Res, 2013) Purpose in life more preventive health behaviors (cholest tests, cancer screenings). (Kim, Strecher, & Ryff, PNAS, 2014) Health and Retirement Study (HRS)

46 Eudaimonia and the Brain

47 Higher purpose in life better emotion regulation (smaller eyeblink reflex) after negative provocation (Schaefer et al., PLOS ONE, 2013)

48 Reward circuitry, eudaimonic well-being, and cortisol (Heller et al., Psych. Science, 2013)

49 Sustained engagement of ventral striatum in response to positive stimuli higher PWB

50 Residualized AUCg(nm/L) Cortisol magnitude (nmol/l) Sustained VS activity reduced cortisol output over the day Sustained ventral striatal activity Walking 30-Mins. post Walking Lunch Bed-time

51 Promoting Eudaimonia well-being therapy Fava et al. (1998) Archives of General Psychiatry Lighten Up Friedman et al. (2015) Aging and Mental Health Using eudaimonia to improve lives Ruini & Ryff (2016) Handbook of Positive Clinical Psychology

52 What s Missing? 1) Impact of the Economic Recession Unique features of MIDUS content and design

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54 What s Missing? 2) The problem of unjust societies Research on inequalities tells tales about the disadvantaged; what about the privileged? Greed at the top as a force that undermines the eudaimonia of many

55 Neglected Negatives: Dante s Inferno Gluttony/greed Fraud/dishonesty This vain and insatiable lot do not know the limits of their own appetites. Wight (2005) Adam Smith and Greed Piketty (2014) Capital in the 21 st Century

56 Those only are happy. who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness, on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way. Autobiography. John Stuart Mill (1893) University of Humanistic Studies Utrecht *Need more humanists at the table

57 What s Missing? 3) The potential of art/humanities in improving the human condition Art, Health, & Well-Being (Royal Society for Public Health, 2013) Health Humanities (Crawford, et al., 2015) The Value of the Humanities (Small, 2014)

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59 Thanks! My