Character Strengths Involving an Orientation to Promote Good Can Help Your Health and Well-Being. Evidence From two Longitudinal Studies.

PURPOSE: We examined the impact of an orientation to promote good-one aspect of strengths of character, understood as having consistent thoughts and taking actions that contribute to the good of oneself and others-on flourishing outcomes.

DESIGN: We used data from 2 longitudinal observational studies. The primary study used 2 waves of data collected in June 2018 and July 2019. The secondary study used 3 waves of data collected in February 2017, March 2018, and March 2019.

SETTING: Two culturally different populations of adults were examined: (1) a large service organization based in the United States and (2) a Mexican apparel company in the supply chain of a major global brand.

SUBJECTS: 1,209 U.S. employees and 495 Mexican apparel workers were included in the study.

MEASURES: Self-reports of orientation to promote good, Well-Being Assessment, Flourishing Index, the CDC Health-Related Quality of Life and the Job-Related Affective Well-Being Scale were used.

ANALYSIS: An outcome-wide approach and lagged regression analyses were applied. To combine the estimates across samples meta-analytic estimates were computed. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing. Robustness of the results to potential unmeasured confounding was examined using E-values.

RESULTS: Orientation to promote good was positively associated with subsequently higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness (β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.19), self-assessed mental health (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.15) and physical health (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.12), social connectedness (β = 0.102, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.15) and purpose in life (β = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.11). It was also associated with decreased anxiety (β = -0.11, 95% CI: -0.17, -0.06), depression (β = -0.07, 95% CI: -0.1, -0.02) and loneliness (β = -0.09, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.04). Possible effects on both positive affect (feeling happy) and negative affect (feeling sad, stressed and lonely) in general and while-at-work were also identified.

CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers and practitioners should consider orientation to promote good as an important factor for improving population health and human flourishing while also at work.