Psychological well-being is a concept that refers not merely to the absence of negative symptoms but to a person leading a satisfying and functional life in areas such as meaning, purpose, relationships and personal growth.
What is psychological well-being?
Research on well-being rests on two main traditions: the hedonic approach focuses on pleasure, life satisfaction and positive emotion, whereas the eudaimonic approach focuses on meaning, self-realization and a person fulfilling their potential (Ryan and Deci, 2001). The World Health Organization (WHO) likewise defines mental health as a state of well-being in which a person can cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community, and notes that mental health lies on a complex continuum (WHO, mental health fact sheet). For knowledge and attitudes related to mental health, see What Is Mental Health Literacy?.
What is subjective well-being?
Diener (1984) grounded subjective well-being in how a person evaluates their own life, addressing it through components such as life satisfaction and the levels of positive and negative emotion. Ryff and Keyes (1995), in turn, argued that common measures of positive and negative affect and life satisfaction overlook important aspects of positive functioning emphasized in theories of health and well-being; psychological well-being is approached as a perspective that also covers these aspects.
What is Ryff’s six-dimension model of psychological well-being?
Ryff (1989) approached psychological well-being in six dimensions. In a national sample of 1,108 adults aged 25 and older, Ryff and Keyes (1995) supported the six-dimension structure with confirmatory factor analysis.
| Dimension | In brief |
|---|---|
| Autonomy | Being able to act in line with one’s own values and to resist social pressures |
| Environmental mastery | A sense of being able to manage the conditions of one’s life |
| Personal growth | A continuing tendency to develop and fulfill one’s potential |
| Positive relations with others | Being able to form warm, trusting and satisfying relationships |
| Purpose in life | A sense of meaning and direction in life |
| Self-acceptance | A positive attitude toward oneself and one’s past life |
What is the relationship between well-being and mental health symptoms?
Well-being and mental health symptoms are related but can be treated as separate dimensions. According to Keyes’s (2005) “dual continua” model, mental health is not determined merely by the presence or absence of symptoms of mental disorder; well-being is assessed as a separate dimension. In a national sample of 3,032 adults, mental health and mental illness were found to be separate but correlated dimensions, and the presence of mental health was termed flourishing and its absence languishing. A person may therefore experience some mental health symptoms while drawing satisfaction from meaning and relationships in life, whereas a person without symptoms may struggle with well-being.
How is well-being addressed in psychotherapy?
In psychotherapy, goals may not be limited to a reduction in symptoms. A person may also aim for change in relationships, in purpose in life or in self-acceptance. Goals are specific to the person and are set together during the process. For general information about the psychotherapy process, see What Is Psychotherapy? and Interpersonal Relationship Difficulties and How They Are Addressed in Psychotherapy; for situations in which support may be considered, see When Can Psychological Support Be Considered?.
What are common misconceptions about psychological well-being, and what are its limits?
- “Well-being means being happy or never experiencing negative emotion.” No. Psychological well-being covers more than positive emotion; areas such as meaning, purpose, relationships and personal growth are also considered (Ryff and Keyes, 1995; Ryan and Deci, 2001).
- “If there are no symptoms, well-being is present.” No. Well-being and mental health symptoms have been found to be related but separate dimensions (Keyes, 2005); the absence of symptoms may not mean the presence of well-being.
- “Well-being is a diagnosis, or a scale score gives a final verdict on a person’s mental health.” No. Well-being is not a diagnosis but a concept for understanding mental health; research scales do not diagnose and do not replace a clinical assessment on their own.
Expert note
The concept of well-being allows a perspective that does not assess psychological distress solely through a reduction in symptoms. From a perspective that draws on cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic psychotherapy theories, a person’s relationships, values, purpose in life and attitude toward the self can be considered together with symptoms.
What well-being means can differ from person to person; general frameworks can be helpful but do not replace an individual assessment. The information in this article is likewise for general information only.
Clinical Psychologist Özgün Emre Yaylacı
Frequently asked questions
Is psychological well-being the same as happiness?
No. Happiness is generally associated with positive emotion and life satisfaction, whereas psychological well-being also covers broader dimensions such as meaning, purpose, personal growth and relationships.
Does the absence of mental health symptoms mean well-being?
Not necessarily. The WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being; in research, positive mental health and mental illness have been found to be related but separate dimensions (Keyes, 2005).
Can psychological well-being be measured?
Yes. Research uses instruments based on a person’s own responses, such as Ryff’s six-dimension scales. These scales do not diagnose and do not replace a clinical assessment on their own.
Can psychological well-being be increased?
Some studies report that certain interventions can be associated with increases on well-being measures. In one meta-analysis, 51 positive psychology interventions were associated with significant increases in well-being, and effects were reported to vary by participant characteristics and the way the intervention was delivered (Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009).
Is well-being a mental disorder diagnosis?
No. Well-being is not a diagnosis but a concept for understanding mental health.
Sources
This article was prepared for general information; the following sources were consulted in preparing it (in English):
- Diener (1984): Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95(3), 542–575
- Ryan and Deci (2001): On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141–166
- Ryff (1989): Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081
- Ryff and Keyes (1995): The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), 719–727
- Keyes (2005): Mental illness and/or mental health? Investigating axioms of the complete state model of health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(3), 539–548
- Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009): Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(5), 467–487
- World Health Organization: Mental health (fact sheet)
This article was prepared by Clinical Psychologist Özgün Emre Yaylacı. Last updated: October 23, 2026. The content is for general information only and does not constitute diagnosis, treatment or personal guidance.
