bruce hunter, robert cummins, melanie davern, school of psychology, deakin university richard...

The Importance of Work and Relationships for Subjective Wellbeing: Findings from the seventh survey of the Australian Unity Wellbeing IndexBruce Hunter, Robert Cummins, Melanie Davern,School of Psychology, Deakin University Richard Eckersley,National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University Sing Kai Lo,Institute for International Health, University of Sydney& Erik OkerstromAustralian Unity

Australian Unity Wellbeing IndexSURVEY 7 The Wellbeing of Australians The Effects of WorkMay-June 2003

The Importance of Earning Money from Work.

Earners and non-earners did not differ in the Personal Wellbeing Index.

Chart1

75.77

75.96

Personal Wellbeing Index

Sheet1

EarningNon-Earning

Personal Wellbeing Index75.7775.96

EarningNon-Earning

National Wellbeing Index60.9262.74

Sheet1

0

0

Personal Wellbeing Index

Sheet2

60.92

62.74

National Wellbeing Index

Sheet3

Earning money from work is important for maintaining wellbeing between the ages of 26-55 years, irrespective of income.

Chart2

74.674.1

75.671.8

76.170.4

7671.1

76.276.9

80.279

Earn

Not earn

Age

Strengthofsatisfaction (PWI)

Chart13

77.179

75.881.1

76.280.2

77.380.5

76.480.9

79.182.1

80.182.5

Male

Female

Strengthofsatisfaction

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Figure 2.1 Personal wellbeing index

S1April2001S2September2001S3March2002S4August2002S5November2002S6March2003S7Post-IraqWar

73.274.475.274.474.675.275.9


S1April2001S2September2001S3March2002S4August2002S5November2002S6March2003S7June2003

55.858.660.760.260.760.361.7

Satisfaction with Standard of Living


74.577.377.776.577.377.777.8

Satisfaction with health


73.675.175.374.975.87675.2

Satisfaction with achievements


73.174.174.873.974.97574.8

Satisfaction with relationships


78.279.179.278.978.780.681.3

Satisfaction with How Safe you Feel


75.175.876.877.275.876.979.1

Satisfaction with Feeling Part of your community


68.670.570.769.5707171.2

Satisfaction with future security


68.968.67169.469.869.471.4

Satisfaction with Life as a whole


75.27778.177.177.778.278.2

Satisfaction with the economic situation in Australia


53.657.86463.96565.466.1

Satisfaction with the state of the natural environment in Australia


57.959.960.959.157.959.959.6

Satisfaction with the social conditions in Australia


59.262.562.86262.66362.6

Satisfaction with Government in Australia


58.752.853.355.853.555.8

Satisfaction with Business in Australia


55.459.959.361.158.960.9

satisfaction with national security


57.363.362.96160.565.2

Satisfaction with Life in Australia


7074858483.684.483

Satisfaction with own happiness


78.679.880.4

Earning money and wellbeing domains

EarningNon-EarningEarningNon-EarningEarningNon-Earning

77.372.269.473.677.580.8

Earning money and national wellbeing


58.660.961.464.353.958.4

Earning money and strength of world anxiety and political support

EarningNon-EarningEarningNon-Earning

63.566.171.476.1

Earning money and household income

The personal wellbeing of non-earning males drops down significantly below equivalently-aged earning males.

Chart4

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75.167.9

74.867.7

75.767.6

76.875.4

Male - earn

Male - not earn

Age

Strength of satisfaction (PWI)

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Non-earning males aged 26-55 have low wellbeing putting them at risk.Normative lowerlimit

Chart4

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Male - not earn

Age


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78.679.880.4



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A slight drop is also evident for non-earning females. Wellbeing remains within the normal range.Strength of Satisfaction (PWI)Age

Chart1

74.173.4

76.273.7

77.271.6

75.773.3

75.278.2

Female - earn

Female - not earn

Chart4

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75.167.9

74.867.7

75.767.6

76.875.4

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Male - not earn

Age


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Non-earning males 18-25 years and males aged over 55 maintain wellbeing in normal range.Normative lowerlimit

Chart4

74.175.9

75.167.9

74.867.7

75.767.6

76.875.4

Male - earn

Male - not earn

Age


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Males who live alone and who are not earning money have a very low level of wellbeing.Normative lowerlimit

Chart5

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73.2

69.2

75.7

Strengthofsatisfaction(PWI)

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Overall, confidence in finding another job decreases with age for both sexes.

Chart1

70.173.2

77.271.6

64.472.2

6562.5

5459.5

Male

Female

Age

Strengthofconfidence

Chart13

77.179

75.881.1

76.280.2

77.380.5

76.480.9

79.182.1

80.182.5

Male

Female


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Balancing Work and Family is difficult for all.

Both genders find balancing work and family difficult between the ages of 26-45.

Chart14

70.374.6

65.270.1

68.265.2

71.271.2

Male

Female

Strengthofsatisfaction(Balancework/family)

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The presence of children in a household is associated with a lower level of adult wellbeing,

Chart1

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76


Chart12

78.3

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Decreased wellbeing largely due to the low wellbeing of adults 56+, who have children in the household.

Chart3

71.674.5

75.378.1

76.775.5

76.177.9

73.278.9

Children present

No children

Strengthofsatisfaction%

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Interestingly, females with children at home have higher wellbeing if they are earning money.

Males have a lower level of wellbeing if they are not earning money, irrespective of presence of children.

Chart6

77.676.15

76.677.75

72.671.54

80.6973.92

Live alone with partner

Live with partner plus other(s)


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Single parents have a very low wellbeing,irrespective of gender, age, or employment status.Normative lowerlimit

Chart8

73.2

66.5

78.4

76.2

74.4

72.9

Household Structure


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Young adults are more likely to remain living with their parents if the household income is high

and their wellbeing is higher if the household income is greater.

However, males who live with their parents have lower wellbeing than males who do not.

Chart18

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75.476.5

Male

Female


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77.372.269.473.677.580.8



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Relationships can be good for your wellbeing.

Marriage is a gamble if it works, it leads to higher wellbeing than if never married,

Chart10

72.8

75.5

77.6

72.6

69.3

76.7


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78.679.880.4



77.372.269.473.677.580.8



58.660.961.464.353.958.4



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...but if it doesnt work, and ends in divorce, it can reduce wellbeing below normal.Normative lowerlimit

Chart10

72.8

75.5

77.6

72.6

69.3

76.7


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78.679.880.4



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63.566.171.476.1


Non-earning females living only with their partner have one of the highest levels of wellbeing recorded

In Conclusion

Males appear to be responding to the traditional gender roles of breadwinners.

Males aged 26-55 who are not earning money have lower than normal levels of wellbeing.

Both genders are struggling with balancing work and family.

Females wellbeing is reduced by the presence of children, but earning money can buffer that.

Relationships are important for wellbeing.

Personal wellbeing is highest for people who are married and lowest for those who are divorced.

Relationships are important for wellbeing.

Single parents have the lowest wellbeing of all household groupings.

Males living alone are at risk, especially if not earning money.

Thank You.

bruce hunter, robert cummins, melanie davern, school of psychology, deakin university richard...

Documents

subjective wellbeing

wellbeing of australians

importance of work

national centre

importance of earning

population health

international health

robert cummins