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Community Subjective Well-being, Personality Traits and Quality of Life Therapy

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Abstract

In this study, factors that are instrumental in improving individuals' aswell as communities' subjective well-being (SWB) and Quality of Life (QOL)such as positive and negative relationships, personality characteristics ortraits as defined by family members or spouse, perceptions of the future aslooking good, and psychological factors (such as congruency,thriving/resilience personality, belongingness, external and internal powerand psychoallostasis), demographic variables, and religion were examined.The findings indicate that congruency with one's community values andexpectations, belongingness, thriving personality, psychoallostasis andpositive relationships or closeness to people in one's community, and theperception of the future both for the individual and for the community asbright, are important indicators of Quality of life and increased Subjectivewell-being. Additionally, family or spousal ratings of personalitycharacteristics as desirable affected SWB only if the ratings correspondedto the individuals' rating. Path analysis indicate that the high levels ofhappiness experienced by people living in Individualistic-sub-collectivisticcultures such as Appalachia is strongly linked to communal homeostasis andpsychoallostasis lifestyles prevalent in these communities. Implications ofthese findings to Quality of life therapy (QOLT) and healthy psychology atboth the individual level and community level are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational and Counseling Psychology Department, College of Education, The University of Kentucky, 249 Dickey Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506-0017, USA

    David M.S. Kimweli & William E. Stilwell

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  1. David M.S. Kimweli
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  2. William E. Stilwell
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Kimweli, D.M., Stilwell, W.E. Community Subjective Well-being, Personality Traits and Quality of Life Therapy. Social Indicators Research 60, 193–225 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021265115608

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