Perspectives of Wellbeing Across Four Cultures: Australia, India, Chile, and Russia

One of the challenges of settling on a universal definition of wellbeing is the significant cultural differences that influence one’s judgement about what it means to be well. This qualitative study investigated how adults conceptualise and experience wellbeing across four cultures, distinguished by differing social, political, and religious norms. We conducted interviews with 41 English speaking participants from Australia, India, Chile, and Russia, discussing the distinct dimensions that make up their wellbeing, including the psychological (e.g., perception), social (e.g., relational connections), emotional (e.g., how people perceive their emotional states in relation to wellbeing), spiritual (e.g., sense of meaning and worldviews), and expectation (e.g., resources required for optimal wellbeing) dimensions. Findings indicated the universal importance of social connectedness with others, happiness, and practices that nurture one’s physical and psychological health. There were cultural differences in how participants defined happiness and in the perceived importance of spiritual practices. The findings provide further insights into how wellbeing is understood and practiced across different cultures.