JYU.Well profiling area 2023-2028

The University of Jyväskylä has received funding for JYU.Well from the Academy of Finland (in 2023-2028) to strengthen the university’s research profile.

Global societal need for impactful wellbeing research

A major key to addressing todayʼs global challenges lies in the promotion of the comprehensive socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable wellbeing of individuals, societies, and the environment, as well as understanding how these entities evolve and interact or react in a world transformed by technology. Global transformations and both ongoing and unexpected changes within societies and individualsʼ lives increase vulnerabilities for some while allowing wellbeing for others, deepening social polarization.

Although abundant research exists on various challenges in wellbeing, an encompassing concept of wellbeing remains ambiguous, highlighting the need to consolidate the disjoined and subjective wellbeing research into a holistic understanding. New approaches are required to investigate the interconnected aspects of wellbeing over the human lifespan and at the multiple transition points crucial for wellbeing. Such a goal enables internationally innovative research questions and outputs, as well as stronger social impacts on the practices and policies aiming for human wellbeing.

JYU.Well at the forefront of multifaceted wellbeing research

In Finland, the major reform process of integrating public healthcare, social welfare, and rescue services into the novel “wellbeing services county” structure provides an internationally unique framework and opportunity for wellbeing research and an urgent need for incorporating its outputs at regional and national levels.

By generating diverse perspectives of wellbeing through multiple theoretical, disciplinary, and methodological lenses, a more unified concept of wellbeing and its dimensions can be proposed, cohesive and innovative findings achieved, and evidence-based actions taken to enhance wellbeing. Understanding wellbeing phenomena and making better decisions in volatile environments and compressed timelines requires active knowledge exchange based on research both in Finland and internationally. JYU.Well advances the current research agendas of multifaceted wellbeing research by ambitiously integrating diverse disciplinary insights into a holistic understanding of phenomena associated with wellbeing, thus contributing high relevance for research, policy, and practice.

Focus areas

JYU.Well profiling will be approached from five perspectives or focus areas (FA), all involving researchers from several JYU faculties. The aim of the research is to provide a basis for developing efficient intervention and prevention programs to help people, communities, and society in maintaining wellbeing.

This Focus Area searches for and defines specific indicators of positive wellbeing in physical and mental wellbeing from childhood into old age. Thus, it analyzes the developmental trajectories of wellbeing and their causal links to other areas of functioning, such as physical activity, functional capacity, and health, and strengthens research on conceptualizing, developing, and mapping consequences of wellbeing across the human lifespan. Focus Area 1 will generate knowledge on the indicators of wellbeing as well as the developmental drivers and transitions that produce wellbeing and resilience in the various phases of life. This includes prevention of an early accumulation of risks, such as dropping out of school or becoming physically inactive, that may contribute to decreased wellbeing over time. By bringing insights into the nature of wellbeing across the lifespan, our innovative research on the drivers and transitions can support longer, healthier lifespans.

This Focus Area will provide new understanding of communication and learning processes that impact wellbeing within communities, that is, the means to empower people and preventing known and emerging wellbeing risks. In doing so, it assesses viable means for communities and organizations to generate psychological resources, vitality, satisfaction, and motivation. Interdisciplinary knowledge is essential, particularly when corresponding to the novel demands for digitalized communication and continuous learning at work. Increased needs in workplaces and organizations for versatile communication skills, interaction and leadership competences, and teamwork expertise have produced new risks for the wellbeing of individuals, organizations, and society. The ongoing demand for learning and problem-solving skills increases oneʼs cognitive load and challenges wellbeing on both individual and community levels. These risks and challenges can be mitigated, for instance, by ethical leadership practices and a participatory work culture that supports professional agency.

By studying the preconditions of wellbeing (including equality questions), this Focus Area enhances policy-relevant knowledge of the determinants of wellbeing and provides tools for proactive societal policies and structures for wellbeing. Focus Area 3 concentrates on various organizations that promote wellbeing in individuals, families, and communities at the societal level and will study ways of supporting changes in institutional settings and policy frameworks. The aim is to reduce inequalities and increase equity and wellbeing by identifying and transforming structures that produce and sustain social problems.

Through models and processes for bringing research into practice and decision making, this Focus Area builds on perspectives and outputs from Focus Areas 1–3 by analyzing, developing , and disseminating evidence-based interventions, practices, and policy recommendations. Most decisions (from individual to society levels) are characterized by conflicting perspectives and objectives; we support their consideration through multiobjective optimization tools, thus seeking the best balance. Focus Area 4 enhances knowledge exchange and explores and clarifies the wellbeing impacts of decision making and outcomes. We, support proactive, problem preventive policy making and novel dialogue among presently separate sectors, such as education and culture, social services, and preventive healthcare. For example, approaching arts and culture as research-based practices for enhancing wellbeing could strengthen decision making.

This Focus Area aims to improve the knowledge of advanced statistical methods and data integration and applied machine learning to the diverse wellbeing data gathered in Focus Areas 1-4. It promotes new methodological avenues where the strengths of advanced statistical methods are combined with those of machine learning, big data, and decision analytics. For wellbeing researchers, machine learning and AI open intriguing possibilities for analyzing both structured and unstructured big data. With adequate tools, data from multiple sources can be integrated to gain an improved understanding of multifaceted wellbeing.

Societal impact

JYU.Well generates social impact in wellbeing research by analyzing, developing, and disseminating effective evidence-based interventions, practices, and policy recommendations, and by considering the challenges and potential for individual, community, and society levels and to be applied on those levels.

Through active knowledge exchange, the results will help policymakers allocate public resources more efficiently and ultimately improve public wellbeing. We seek scientific breakthroughs that provide new evidence-based perspectives for policy debates. Beyond the service structures, our interdisciplinary research collaboration can also provide new insights into how individuals themselves can be involved and motivated for advancing both their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others in their local communities.