ISQOLS Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are communities designed to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation around specific themes within the field of quality-of-life and well-being studies. SIGs provide a space for researchers, practitioners, and students to engage in ongoing dialogue, share resources, and collaborate on new projects between ISQOLS conferences. Access to ISQOLS SIGs is for members only.

ISQOLS Members Only: SIG Access

I. Workplace Well-Being & Employment

Description: This SIG explores how employment conditions shape well-being, including job satisfaction, job quality, work–life balance, and happiness in office spaces. Topics include commuting, telework, workplace culture, and labor market dynamics. Research within this group addresses turnover, organizational change, and the meaning of work, helping to inform policies and practices that promote both productivity and employee well-being.

II. Mental Health & Psychological Well-Being

Description: This SIG focuses on psychological determinants of quality-of-life, including the effects of therapy, counseling, and mental health interventions on well-being outcomes. It also addresses topics such as moral injury, psychological safety, stress, burnout, and parent–child mental health relationships. Research from this SIG informs best practices for mental health services and fosters cross-cultural understanding of mental health challenges.

III. Social Cohesion & Relationships

Description: This SIG investigates the role of social capital, trust, and community engagement in promoting well-being. Topics include relationship quality within households, loneliness, inclusiveness in housing, and neighborhood cohesion. It brings together scholars interested in understanding how social connections buffer stress, foster resilience, and improve life satisfaction.

IV. Education & Youth Development

Description: This SIG examines the role of education in shaping well-being outcomes across the life course. It addresses school environments, positive youth development, resilience programs, and the impact of code-switching on psychological well-being among students. Its work informs education policy and interventions aimed at promoting thriving among children and adolescents.

V. Sustainability, Environment & Well-Being

Description: This SIG connects environmental quality, climate action, and sustainability to subjective and objective well-being. Topics include degrowth, carbon finance, exposure to environmental hazards, and the psychological benefits of nature. Research in this area aims to balance ecological sustainability with human flourishing.

VI. Measurement & Metrics of Well-Being

Description: This SIG develops and refines methods for measuring happiness, life satisfaction, and quality-of-life. Areas of focus include beyond-GDP indicators, composite well-being indices, national well-being dashboards, and happiness efficiency measures. It provides a hub for methodological innovation, advancing the precision and comparability of well-being research worldwide.

VII. Cultural and Indigenous Models of Well-Being

Description: This SIG explores how culture and worldview shape well-being concepts and outcomes. Topics include culture-based development, nonhuman well-being, indigenous knowledge systems, and Ubuntu-inspired frameworks. Its work highlights diverse perspectives and decolonizes approaches to well-being research.

VIII. Public Policy, Health, & Welfare

Description: This SIG examines how public policy interventions affect well-being. Areas of study include health systems, health coverage, welfare programs, poverty alleviation, and social indicator analysis. It seeks to inform policymakers on how to design interventions that maximize population well-being and reduce inequality.

IX. Mobility, Migration & Urban Life

Description: This SIG focuses on how spatial mobility, migration, and urban design influence well-being. It examines commuting experiences, neighborhood choice, urban–rural disparities, and migrant integration. The SIG supports research that informs planning and policy for more inclusive, livable cities.

X. Technology & Well-Being

Description: This SIG investigates the interaction between technology use and well-being, including remote work, digital well-being, online harassment, and the psychological impacts of AI and automation. It addresses the dual role of technology as both an enabler and a threat to human flourishing.