A wellbeing manifesto for a flourishing society

• Published in: Journal of public mental health Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 9 - 15
• Main Authors: Marks, Nic, Shah, Hetan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01-12-2004
• ISSN: 1746-5729
• DOI: 10.1108/17465729200400023

Although economic output has nearly doubled in the last 30 years, life satisfaction levels in the UK and other developed countries have remained resolutely flat, with evidence that depression and anxiety are increasing, notably among young people. While governments in the developed world focus on economic development as the key route to wellbeing, a growing body of research suggests that, once basic needs have been met, this approach is flawed. This wellbeing manifesto for a flourishing society, produced by the think tank new economics foundation nef, proposes eight alternative priorities for government action to promote wellbeing. While the focus is on UK policy and the examples are largely drawn from the UK, the key themes of the manifesto will apply to many developed country contexts.