National measure of well-being

The government's project to develop a national measure of well-being should fully include the British Psychological Society.Professor Peter Kinderman from the University of Liverpool - who is also the Chair of the Society's Division of Clinical Psychology - makes the statement at the Society's Annual Conference in Glasgow on Thursday 5 May.

The expert is speaking in a 'hot topic' session: Can the Government Make People Happy? Engaging with the Well-being Agenda.

He explained that the government's proposal has the potential to be very positive and noted the Society - which has the slogan 'Bringing Psychology to Society' - should be engaged in the project, "in part because applied psychologists work to help individuals and groups improve their well-being – and in part to highlight and hopefully resolve, some of the complexities".

A person's sense of well-being depends on many factors, Professor Kinderman observes, which include financial security, education, healthcare and relationships, among others.