On the promotion of human flourishing

TLDR

Most research in social and biomedical sciences concentrates on narrow outcomes such as income or specific diseases, whereas human flourishing encompasses a wide spectrum of well‑being, including health, happiness, purpose, virtue, and close relationships. The authors review longitudinal, experimental, and quasi‑experimental studies to identify key determinants of this broad conception of flourishing. They propose specific flourishing measures and discuss how a broader definition informs policy and future biomedical and social science research.

Abstract

Many empirical studies throughout the social and biomedical sciences focus only on very narrow outcomes such as income, or a single specific disease state, or a measure of positive affect. Human well-being or flourishing, however, consists in a much broader range of states and outcomes, certainly including mental and physical health, but also encompassing happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. The empirical literature from longitudinal, experimental, and quasiexperimental studies is reviewed in attempt to identify major determinants of human flourishing, broadly conceived. Measures of human flourishing are proposed. Discussion is given to the implications of a broader conception of human flourishing, and of the research reviewed, for policy, and for future research in the biomedical and social sciences.