A scoping review of well-being measures: conceptualisation and scales for overall well-being

Abstract

107 peer-reviewed articles from 2003 to 2022 were included, and 69 well-being scales were identified covering nine areas of well-being. Four final themes were identified as the foundational dimensions of overall well-being: hedonic; eudaimonic; physical health; and generic happiness. Notably, these 69 scales are mainly validated and adopted in the Western context. However, well-being is multi-dimensional with numerous domains \[ [5](https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-024-02074-0#ref-CR5)\], and there is no consensus on what dimensions it consists of. It is quite broad ranging in its meaning and covers areas such as subjective, psychological, mental, and spiritual well-being, and hence, existing scales incorporate a diverse range of components and/or dimensions. Thus far, a variety of scales have been developed and validated to measure and document levels and changes in an individual’s well-being, covering different cultures and targeting different populations.