ISQOLS Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are collaborative communities designed to promote knowledge-sharing, innovation and interdisciplinary dialogue around specific themes in the field of quality-of-life and well-being studies. Each SIG offers a dynamic space for researchers, practitioners, and students to engage, exchange resources, and develop projects between ISQOLS conferences.

ISQOLS Members Only: SIG Access

I. Workplace Well-Being & Employment

Description: This SIG explores how employment conditions influence overall well-being, including job satisfaction, job quality, work–life balance, and happiness in the workplace. Areas of focus include commuting, telework, workplace culture, and labor market dynamics. The group investigates issues such as turnover, organizational change, and the meaning of work, helping to inform policies and practices that support both productivity and employee flourishing.

II. Mental Health & Psychological Well-Being

Description: This SIG examines the psychological and emotional dimensions of well-being. It focuses on the effects of therapy, counseling, and mental health interventions, as well as key topics such as moral injury, psychological safety, stress, burnout, and parent–child mental health relationships. Its work informs best practices in mental health services and promotes cross-cultural understanding of psychological resilience.

III. Social Cohesion & Relationships

Description: This SIG investigates the role of social capital, trust, and community engagement in enhancing well-being. Topics include relationship quality within families, loneliness, neighborhood inclusiveness, and social cohesion. The group brings together scholars interested in how social connections buffer stress, strengthen resilience, and foster life satisfaction across diverse populations.

IV. Education & Youth Development

Description: This SIG focuses on the role of education in well-being throughout the life course. It examines school environments, positive youth development, resilience-building programs, and the psychological effects of code-switching among students. Its findings inform education policies and interventions aimed at cultivating thriving, adaptable, and well-supported youth.

V. Sustainability, Environment & Well-Being

Description: This SIG connects environmental sustainability and ecological balance with human well-being. Areas of interest include climate action, degrowth, carbon finance, exposure to environmental hazards, and the psychological benefits of nature. The group promotes research and dialogue on aligning ecological stewardship with long-term human flourishing.

VI. Measurement & Metrics of Well-Being

 Description: This SIG advances methodological innovation in assessing happiness, life satisfaction, and quality-of-life. It focuses on developing and refining beyond-GDP indicators, composite well-being indices, national dashboards, and efficiency measures of happiness. The SIG serves as a hub for improving the precision, comparability and policy relevance of well-being research worldwide.

VII. Cultural and Indigenous Models of Well-Being

Description: This SIG explores how culture, tradition and worldview shape conceptions and experiences of well-being. Topics include culture-based development, nonhuman well-being, indigenous knowledge systems, and Ubuntu-inspired frameworks. The group highlights diverse perspectives, contributing to the decolonization and contextualization of well-being research globally.

VIII. Public Policy, Health, & Welfare

Description: This SIG examines the intersection of public policy, health systems, and social welfare as determinants of well-being. Areas of focus include universal health coverage, welfare programs, poverty alleviation, and social indicator analysis. The group seeks to inform evidence-based policymaking that enhances population well-being and reduces inequality.

IX. Mobility, Migration & Urban Life

Description: This SIG explores how spatial mobility, migration, and urban design affect quality-of-life outcomes. It investigates commuting experiences, neighborhood selection, urban–rural disparities, and migrant integration. The SIG aims to generate insights that inform urban planning and policies for more inclusive, resilient, and livable cities.

X. Technology & Well-Being

Description: This SIG investigates the complex relationship between technology use and well-being. Topics include remote work, digital well-being, online harassment, and the psychological impacts of artificial intelligence and automation. The group explores how technology can serve as both an enabler and a challenge to human connection, fulfillment, and ethical progress.

XI. Wellbeing Economics, Beyond GDP

Description: This SIG explores economic models that place human and planetary well-being at the center of policy and practice. It focuses on alternative frameworks, as well as the use of well-being indicators in fiscal policy and governance. The group connects researchers and policymakers working to move beyond GDP toward more sustainable and equitable measures of progress.