Conceptualising social wellbeing using an international Group Concept Mapping study

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v12i3.1669

Abstract

Physical, mental and social components of wellbeing are known to be important to health. However, in health research and practice much of the focus has been on physical and mental wellbeing with less attention paid to social components, which we assert detrimentally affects the development of health policies and practices. A systematic measure of wellbeing, which captures both mental (internal) and social (external) wellbeing is needed to offer a richer, nuanced, and more complex multi-dimensional account of wellbeing. We report on using Group Concept Mapping (GCM) to define a social conception of wellbeing. The aim was to capture the complex multi-dimensional aspects of the ‘social resources’ that people access, and the ‘social worlds’ they inhabit. We highlight why it is necessary to separate and promote different components of wellbeing simultaneously, and why a multi-dimensional definition of social wellbeing is needed. We discuss the importance of promoting social wellbeing in health and social care settings, with reference to social prescribing. The paper demonstrates how a theoretically coherent and workable conception of social wellbeing may support scale development i.e., the South Wales Social Wellbeing Scale (SWSWBS). It is anticipated that such a tool would measure the quality of respondents’ overall experience of social wellbeing via the external social resources they possess, their perceived ability to engage in and enjoy the social world in which they live, and, as a result, their capacity for human functioning and flourishing. 

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Author Biographies

Megan Elliott, University of South Wales

Megan Elliott is a Senior Research Assistant for the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR), within PRIME Centre Wales and PhD student at University of South Wales, UK. Her research focuses on social prescribing evaluation methodology using consensus and realist methodologies.

Steven R. Smith, University of South Wales

Steven R. Smith is Professor of Political Philosophy and Social Policy at the University of South Wales, and is a member of PRIME, and WSSPR. He is also a Co-Director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD). His research focuses on how philosophical understandings of social values can be applied to social policy, welfare and health practices, and include philosophical understandings of wellbeing, and other associated values, such as equality and social justice.

David Pontin, University of South Wales

David Pontin is Aneurin Bevan Chair of Community Health at the University of South Wales. He is a member of PRIME Centre Wales and a founding member of the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR). These are part of the national research infrastructure funded by Health and Care Research Wales (Welsh Government). David’s research focusses on family and child health, social prescribing and community nursing. 

Carolyn Wallace, University of South Wales

Carolyn Wallace is Professor of Community Health and Care Services at the University of South Wales. She is currently Associate Director of PRIME Centre Wales and Director of the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR). These are part of the national research infrastructure funded by Health and Care Research Wales (Welsh Government). Carolyn’s research focusses on health and care integration, social prescribing and community nursing. 

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Published

2022-10-01

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Articles