IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i19p12457-d929840.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mental Balance in 116 Nations: Where It Is Experienced and Valued

Author

Listed:
  • Mohsen Joshanloo

    (Department of Psychology, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol Boulevard, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Korea)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohsen Joshanloo, 2022. "Mental Balance in 116 Nations: Where It Is Experienced and Valued," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-10, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12457-:d:929840
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12457/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12457/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mogilner, Cassie & Kamvar, Sepandar D. & Aaker, Jennifer, 2010. "The Shifting Meaning of Happiness," Research Papers 2070, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    2. O. Kjell & D. Daukantaitė & K. Hefferon & S. Sikström, 2016. "The Harmony in Life Scale Complements the Satisfaction with Life Scale: Expanding the Conceptualization of the Cognitive Component of Subjective Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 893-919, March.
    3. Mohsen Joshanloo, 2014. "Eastern Conceptualizations of Happiness: Fundamental Differences with Western Views," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 475-493, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. İbrahim Demirci, 2022. "Family Harmony and Flourishing in Turkey: The Roles of Interdependent Happiness and Harmony in Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 985-1005, March.
    2. Yuan Zheng & Jingyi Zhou & Xianglong Zeng & Mingyan Jiang & Tian P. S. Oei, 2022. "A New Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Intervention Focusing on Well-Being: A Randomized Control Trial of Mindfulness-Based Positive Psychology," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2703-2724, August.
    3. Erik Carlquist & Pål Ulleberg & Antonella Delle Fave & Hilde E. Nafstad & Rolv M. Blakar, 2017. "Everyday Understandings of Happiness, Good Life, and Satisfaction: Three Different Facets of Well-being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 481-505, June.
    4. David F. Carreno & Nikolett Eisenbeck & James Greville & Paul T. P. Wong, 2023. "Cross-Cultural Psychometric Analysis of the Mature Happiness Scale-Revised: Mature Happiness, Psychological Inflexibility, and the PERMA Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 1075-1099, March.
    5. Sverker Sikström & Laura Mai Stoinski & Kristina Karlsson & Lotta Stille & Johan Willander, 2020. "Weighting power by preference eliminates gender differences," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Nona C. Kiknadze & Blaine J. Fowers, 2023. "Cultural Variation in Flourishing," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(7), pages 2223-2244, October.
    7. Elyakim Kislev, 2020. "Social Capital, Happiness, and the Unmarried: a Multilevel Analysis of 32 European Countries," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(5), pages 1475-1492, November.
    8. Mohsen Joshanloo & Dan Weijers, 2019. "A two-dimensional conceptual framework for understanding mental well-being," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-20, March.
    9. Hulin Pan, 2023. "Effect of the ecological environment on the residents’ happiness: the mechanism and an evidence from Zhejiang Province of China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 2716-2734, March.
    10. Sabrina Intelisano & Julia Krasko & Maike Luhmann, 2020. "Integrating Philosophical and Psychological Accounts of Happiness and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 161-200, January.
    11. Richard A. Burns & Dimity A. Crisp, 2022. "Prioritizing Happiness has Important Implications for Mental Health, but Perhaps Only if you Already are Happy," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 375-390, February.
    12. Xixiong Xu & Lingling Duan & Youliang Yan, 2019. "The Influence of Confucianism on Corporate Environmental Investment: Evidence from Chinese Private Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-20, October.
    13. Erik Carlquist & Hilde E. Nafstad & Rolv M. Blakar, 2018. "Understanding Satisfaction: An Analysis of the Meaning Potential of the Word “Satisfaction” in Everyday Norwegian Language," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 939-959, April.
    14. Silvia Exenberger & Raphaela Banzer & Jayakumar Christy & Stefan Höfer & Barbara Juen, 2019. "Eastern and Western Children’s Voices on their Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(3), pages 747-768, June.
    15. Nadine Richter & Marcel Hunecke, 2021. "The Mindful Hedonist? Relationships between Well-Being Orientations, Mindfulness and Well-Being Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3111-3135, October.
    16. Kailin Cheng & Jiangqun Liao, 2023. "Coping with Coronavirus Pandemic: Risk Perception Predicts Life Optimism," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 351-371, January.
    17. Farhan Sarwar & Siti Aisyah Panatik & Mohammad Saipol Mohd Sukor & Noraini Rusbadrol, 2021. "A Job Demand–Resource Model of Satisfaction With Work–Family Balance Among Academic Faculty: Mediating Roles of Psychological Capital, Work-to-Family Conflict, and Enrichment," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, April.
    18. Holli-Anne Passmore & Andrew J. Howell & Mark D. Holder, 2018. "Positioning Implicit Theories of Well-Being Within a Positivity Framework," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(8), pages 2445-2463, December.
    19. Pankhuri Aggarwal & Vaishali V. Raval & Anuradha Sathiyaseelan & Mackenzie Trevethan & Aaron M. Luebbe, 2022. "Scripts About Happiness Among Urban Families in South India," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 2059-2082, June.
    20. Igor Sotgiu & Licia Tirloni & Julissa Thomas Zapata, 2021. "Cultural Similarities and Variations in the Conceptions of Happiness and Unhappiness: A Comparison Between Italy and Honduras," Psychology and Developing Societies, , vol. 33(2), pages 232-257, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12457-:d:929840. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.