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The study aimed to explore the associations between the psychosocial and organizational factors, job satisfaction, and mental well-being of schoolteachers. A further aim was to examine whether job satisfaction mediated the relationship between these factors and mental well-being. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data using a self-reported questionnaire. Six hundred and nine schoolteachers were included in the final analyses. The relationships between the variables were tested in a path analysis model. The data fit the hypothesized model well. The results demonstrated that organizational justice, efficacy beliefs, and school climate were significantly associated with job satisfaction and that the relationships between these variables and mental well-being were mediated by job satisfaction. The findings have implications for programs targeted at promoting teachers’ well-being.

Mental balance, defined as a sense of tranquility resulting from inner peace and harmonious interactions with the external environment, is an important but largely overlooked aspect of well-being. Using data from the Gallup World Poll (N = 121,207), this study developed a global index of mental balance and a measure of preference for mental balance (as opposed to excitement) across 116 countries. The study examined the global and regional distribution of these two variables and their intercorrelations with a variety of social, economic, cultural, and well-being variables. The results showed that, whereas national wealth and sociopolitical context were the strongest predictors of experiencing mental balance, these variables were not associated with preference for mental balance.

The dual-continua model of mental health distinguishes between mental illness (presence of mental disorders, such as depression) and mental well-being (presence of positive traits and abilities). This model also distinguishes between hedonic well-being (e.g., affect balance and life satisfaction) and eudaimonic well-being (i.e., optimal psychological and social functioning, as indicated for example by having a purpose in life). We examined the relationships between depressive symptoms (a common indicator of mental illness), life satisfaction, and eudaimonic well-being. The study used a sample of 17,056 participants from England whose data were collected at eight intervals of approximately two years over a 16-year period, from 2004 to 2019. The mean age of the sample in the first wave was 58.843 years, with a standard deviation of 12.617 years (women = 55.2%). We disentangled within- and between-person sources of variance to examine whether increases or decreases in one variable preceded changes in the other variables at the next time point. We found positive reciprocal relationships between life satisfaction and eudaimonic well-being and negative reciprocal relationships between the two well-being dimensions and depressive symptoms. These results suggest that within-person increases in well-being are followed by future decreases in depressive symptoms, and within-person increases in depressive symptoms are followed by future decreases in well-being. Therefore, low levels of mental well-being in older adults may be considered a risk factor for depression, and well-being interventions (such as those focused on meaning-making) may serve as a protective factor against depression in older adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine measurement invariance of the Dutch version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale between groups based on gender, age, education, perceived difficulty of the survey, perceived clarity of the survey, and national background. A nationally representative Dutch sample was used (N = 5369). Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test measurement invariance. Full metric and scalar invariance were supported for all groups studied. These results indicate that the items of the scale are understood and answered similarly by all groups. Therefore, the 5 items of the Satisfaction with Life Scale measure the same construct in all groups. In other words, the differences in the life satisfaction scores are indicative of actual differences in life satisfaction rather than measurement artifacts and biases. This means that the levels of life satisfaction can be meaningfully compared between groups in The Netherlands.

The study aim was to determine prevalence and predictors of life satisfaction in New Zealand. In this observational cross-sectional study, a sample of 10,799 participants from NZ were drawn from the Gallup World Poll from 2006 to 2017. Data were analysed using regression analysis and ANOVA. Prevalence of life satisfaction across time varied little from a high of 7.61 (SD = 1.6) in 2007 to a low of 7.23 (SD = 1.73) in 2011 (range 0–10). Satisfaction with standards of living predicted life satisfaction regardless of age or gender. For males across all age groups and females up to age 40 years, positive experiences and satisfaction with household income were important predictors. Being married was an important predictor for males over 40 years and feeling satisfied with their current city was important for females across all ages and for men under 40. The levels of life satisfaction changed over time, possibly due to major national events. Satisfaction with standards of living was found to predict life satisfaction regardless of age or gender. These results provide a path for policy focus towards increased life satisfaction.