Well-Being Sciences Review

Towards a science of well-being that promotes the flourishing of all humanity

Kaiping Peng — 2025-04-30

There is no doubt that the 21st century is a century of coexistence of enormous opportunities and pressing challenges. No matter how turbulent the world situation is, human beings are always interested in pursuing goals of happiness, well-being, health, value, meaning, creativity, imagination, aesthetics, spiritual transcendence, self-realization and a better life. The yearning for human flourishing is more urgent than ever before. Human beings’ need for self-introspection, spiritual exploration, inner peace, spiritual comfort, spiritual dilemmas, and the need to love and be loved has become increasingly intense and longing. Without a doubt, the golden age for a science of well-being has arrived.

Well-being sciences in China: Contributions, critiques, and future prospects

Zixie Zheng — 2025-04-30

Since the positive psychology movements spread across the globe, numerous highly influential theories, research and applications emerge for the past several decades. China is undergoing large-scale modernization and social change, the rapidly evolving socio-economic landscape of China presents both opportunities and challenges for wellbeing research. As the country continues to undergo significant transformations, such as Chinese modernization, technological advancement, and demographic shifts, it is crucial to examine how these social changes impact the well-being of individuals and communities. Our current work synthesizes recent cutting-edge research on Wellbeing in Chinese cultural contexts. Future research should prioritize the development and evaluation of evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in culturally diverse Chinese contexts, such as schools, workplaces, and communities. It is our hope that our current work can provide a brief overview and the state of the art and future exciting directions for well-being research in China and across the globe.

Addiction, donut, or extended self: An interpretive analysis of nomophobia

Jiayi Li — 2025-04-30

Nomophobia refers to the anxiety individuals experience when unable to effectively connect to the internet. Traditional explanatory frameworks often interpret this phenomenon as withdrawal symptoms, leading to an over-pathologization of daily behaviors. Theories from neutral perspective on the other hand, view nomophobia as a psychological manifestation of unmet connectivity needs but often fail to acknowledge the psychological benefits of digital technology. The attachment theory interprets nomophobia as separation anxiety, yet logical inconsistencies remain. Self-extension theories consider digital networks as part of the individual self but insufficiently explore the systemic and unique characteristics of the internet. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify key concepts following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, involving structured search queries, screening, eligibility assessment, and data extraction. Via evaluating and comparing these perspectives, this study introduces the concept of "Internet extension of virtual capacity" as a complementary enhancement to existing theories. Overall, the conceptual landscape surrounding this topic is characterized by significant overlap and ambiguity. Future research should aim to delineate the boundaries and applicability of these concepts to better understand the ambivalent "love-hate" relationship between human and Internet.

The relationship of depression, gut microbiota and colorectal cancer: A negative cycle

Xiaohe Sun — 2025-04-30

It has been reported that gut microbiota play an important role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), and emerging evidence suggests that disturbances in the gut microbiome may also impact the central nervous system through the microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA). This review aimed to explore the potential connections between CRC, depression, and gut microbiota, in order to identify new clinical strategies for alleviating depressive symptoms. We utilized data from the 2005–2016 Continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), specifically using the Depression Screener Questionnaire (DPQ), which includes nine items scored from "0" (not at all) to "3" (nearly every day). We extracted the proportion of CRC patients who scored "3" on each item and calculated their percentage relative to the total number of participants for each year. This analysis generated bar graphs and tables summarizing the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Results showed that the most frequently reported symptoms were related to neurological dysfunction, such as persistent fatigue and abnormal sleep patterns, which indirectly support the existence of gut-brain interactions. In conclusion, our findings highlight a potential link between intestinal microbiota imbalance, CRC, and depression, suggesting that the gut microbiome may play a significant role in the onset or progression of depression and could serve as a novel target for the treatment of mental health disorders.

Is the richer, the happier? Moderating roles of personality-related brain connectivity

Fangqi Shu — 2025-04-30

Cultivated through the ages, the pursuit of psychological well-being (PWB) has long intrigued humanity, with prior research often examining its correlation with income. Nonetheless, predicting happiness based solely on income remains a challenge. Recent studies have highlighted personality traits as crucial moderators, exhibiting significant regulatory effects. This study seeks to explore how personality traits modulate the impact of individual income on PWB. Going beyond traditional personality trait scores, neural activity offers a multidimensional perspective on personality traits. Therefore, we utilize functional connectivity as variables reflecting personality traits in moderation analyses. Leveraging large-scale resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data, our findings underscore the pivotal moderating role of personality trait-related functional connectivity. Specifically, connections associated with the cerebellum, particularly those involving the cerebellum's neural activity, play a crucial role. This research enriches our comprehension of the relationship between income and well-being and delves into the neural mechanisms underlying the moderating influence of personality traits.

The effects and mechanism of mindfulness intervention on posttraumatic growth in breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial

Xiaokang Lyu — 2025-04-30

While the benefits of mindfulness training in enhancing posttraumatic growth (PTG) are well-documented, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This randomized controlled trial explored whether reduced fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) mediates the effect of mindfulness on PTG in breast cancer patients. Ninety participants from a cancer center in southeast China were randomly assigned to either an eight-week mindfulness training group (n = 46) or a routine care control group (n = 44). Assessments of PTG, FCR, and psychosocial adaptation (PSA) were conducted before and after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant group-by-time interactions for PTG and FCR. Further, mediation analysis showed that reductions in FCR mediated the positive effect of mindfulness training on PTG. These findings suggest that FCR may be a key mechanism through which mindfulness promotes PTG, highlighting the value of targeting FCR in psychosocial interventions for breast cancer patients.

Artificial intelligence in the promotion of human well-being: Current trends and future directions

Yanan Zhao — 2025-04-30

In this article, we examined the evolving interaction between artificial intelligence (AI) and human well-being across multiple domains. Specifically, we explored how AI technologies are increasingly functioning as extensions of human capabilities rather than replacements, creating new opportunities for promoting a better life. Our analysis focuses on five key areas: AI-enhanced social connection and companionship, particularly for vulnerable populations; AI applications in cognitive and sensory enhancement that expand human perceptual and intellectual capacities; AI implementations in mental health and social well-being; AI extended humanity and AI enhanced medical practice and physician well-being. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of human-centered design approaches, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ethical considerations to ensure AI technologies genuinely contribute to human flourishing while addressing concerns around privacy, equity, and technological dependence.

Predicting happiness and depression among Chinese undergraduates: The mediating role of gender and five-factor model

Xiaodong Yue — 2025-04-30

Previous research has demonstrated that gender plays a significant role in influencing happiness and mental well-being in happiness and depression in Chinese society concerning the Five Factor Model (FFM). The present study investigates gender differences in happiness and depression among Chinese undergraduate students as well as the mediating role of personality factors from the FFM. A total of 5,648 undergraduate students (aged between 17 and 29) were recruited from universities across China. Results indicated that females reported significantly higher happiness and higher depression than males. The findings suggest that females are more likely to express emotional feelings than males, such as gratitude and happiness. Furthermore, the results indicate that extraversion mediates the relationship between gender and both happiness and depression, while neuroticism mediates the relationship between gender and depression. Consistent with previous findings, the present study confirms that extraversion is the most reliable predictor of positive affect (e.g., happiness), whereas neuroticism is the most reliable predictor of negative affect (e.g., depression).