Authors: Melissa K Weinberg Nicola Heath Adrian J Tomyn
Publish Date: 2015/07/02
Volume: 17, Issue: 4, Pages: 1565-1575
Abstract
Though subjective wellbeing SWB is generally stable and consistent over time it can fall below its setpoint in response to adverse life events However deviations from setpoint levels are usually only temporary as homeostatic processes operate to return SWB to its normal state Given that income and close interpersonal relationships have been proposed as powerful external resources that are coincident with higher SWB access to these resources may be an important predictor of whether or not a person is likely to recover their SWB following a departure from their setpoint Under the guiding framework of SWB Homeostasis Theory this study considers whether access to a higher income and a committed partner can predict whether people who score lower than normal for SWB at baseline will return to normal setpoint levels of SWB rebound or remain below the normal range resigned at followup Participants were 733 people 533 female from the Australian Unity Longitudinal Wellbeing Study who ranged in age from 20 to 92 years M = 5965 years SD = 1315 Logistic regression analyses revealed that participants’ demographic characteristics were poor predictors of whether they rebounded or resigned Consistent with homeostasis theory the extent of departure from the proposed normal SWB setpoint at baseline was significantly associated with rebound or resignation at time 2 These findings have implications for the way that SWB measures can be used in professional practice to identify people who are particularly vulnerable to depression and to guide the provision of appropriate and effective therapeutic interventions
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