{"id":1514,"date":"2020-12-07T20:51:02","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T20:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1514"},"modified":"2020-12-07T20:52:08","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T20:52:08","slug":"qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
by\u00a0Natalie Grover<\/h5>\n

As the social isolation compelled by the pandemic swept many of us into a flurry of panic, grief and mental funk, a section of people actually reported improved levels of wellbeing, found biological psychologist Meike Bartels, a professor of genetics and wellbeing at VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Why do some people fare better than others in times of distress, and what can we learn from them? Part of the answer lies in our genes, she explained.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How do you define wellbeing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I consider wellbeing as an indicator of feeling well and functioning well. Everything about the concept is subjective \u2014\u00a0as long as someone says I feel well, I don’t really care if that is also objectively the case. There is actually no objective idea of wellbeing because it’s all about how you feel.<\/p>\n

Wellbeing is also a catalyst \u2014 it’s not the endpoint. It comes first \u2014\u00a0when you feel well, you are able to function well and to connect to other people. Large studies show that people who are happier function better, contribute to the socio-economic status of a country, to social welfare and have stronger social relationships and networks. Overall, they’re way less vulnerable to difficult circumstances. So actually, we should invest a lot in the wellbeing of people because if people feel well, they have a lot more to add to society.<\/p>\n

So what is your research looking into?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our main research question (for the project\u00a0WELL-BEING<\/a>) is to understand differences in wellbeing.<\/p>\n

We are doing this using three broad sources \u2014\u00a0twin-family studies to understand the interplay of genes and the environment; large scale molecular genetic studies to understand the evolution of the human genome; and extensive database linkage studies to get a more objective assessment of environmental exposure. This data is sourced using online surveys from volunteers in the Netherlands, collecting biological materials like DNA samples and linking it with the different databases. We’re also using social media data and mobile phone apps to get real-time data on wellbeing.<\/p>\n

That was the plan \u2014\u00a0and then Covid-19 hit. So we created a new survey, and sent it out to a larger group where we included wellbeing measures but also related questions about Covid-19, including questions about whether the person or their family was infected, as well as questions about the general effect of the pandemic, job security, stress levels, and loneliness.<\/p>\n

Neither the old nor the new survey contains direct questions about vocation or socio-economic status, but we do have information on the post-codes of volunteers \u2014\u00a0in the Netherlands, areas are typically clearly defined with respect to socio-economic status.<\/p>\n

Going forward, we want to capture the fluctuations in wellbeing \u2014 for example, people are happier on Fridays than Mondays, and they’re happier when they’re outdoors versus indoors. We want to learn why so we can help people who suffer more.<\/p>\n

By conducting these surveys online and through mobile phones, isn\u2019t your data biased on the digitally literate?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you look at phone and computer use in the Netherlands, I’m not worried that it\u2019s a very big problem. The problem is that this data must come from volunteers, because wellbeing is subjective, and people who sign up tend to be of a higher educational level.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Wellbeing
Wellbeing is subjective and when you feel well, you are able to function well and to connect to other people, says Prof. Bartels. Image credit – Meike Bartels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

And what was the difference in results you got before and after Covid-19?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So far, we have compared the survey data (5,000 people pre-pandemic and about 18,000 people post-pandemic) but we still have to link it to the environmental and genetic datasets.<\/p>\n

But in terms of the surveys, we saw a reduction across the three measures\u00a0– happiness, meaning in life, and optimism – after the pandemic emerged. But, about 20% of the people actually reported increased levels of happiness, optimism and meaning in life. So, I think that’s an important message \u2014\u00a0that Covid-19 didn’t have a negative effect on everybody.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not entirely sure about why that subset of people actually had an improved sense of wellbeing. Partly, it could be about resilience \u2014\u00a0we did a project recently on the overlap of wellbeing and resilience and found that this overlap is largely genetically driven. So partly, it’s resilience and genetic differences between people \u2014 these people are just better able to cope with trying circumstances.<\/p>\n

Before the pandemic, many people lived a very busy, complicated life. We were a very overloaded society. And then, forced to slow down by Covid-19, some people realised they probably didn’t live the life they liked, spent more time at home with their families \u2014 so there was some stress relief. For those who weren\u2019t personally affected by the pandemic, it could be that they feel good about helping others.<\/p>\n

And we hope at some point \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s far too early now \u2014\u00a0that we are able to learn from those who do well to help those that don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u2018I think that’s an important message \u2014\u00a0that Covid-19 didn’t have a negative effect on everybody.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meike Bartels, VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Can you elaborate on the role of genetics in wellbeing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We conducted several twin-family studies \u2014\u00a0these studies allow researchers to observe the influence of genetics in different environments \u2014\u00a0to evaluate how much variance in wellbeing could be explained by genes. We found that about 40% of the differences between people in their levels of wellbeing could be explained by genetic differences.<\/p>\n

Then, armed with that data, we started a global collaboration to study DNA samples and wellbeing measures in about 300,000 individuals, and then we did a second study of about a million individuals. We found over 300 locations on the human genome could account for differences in wellbeing \u2014\u00a0but I must add that all these genetic variants altogether add up to only about 1% of the wellbeing differences between people. So, it’s just the beginning of our understanding of the influences of the genome.<\/p>\n

Given your research so far, what is the biggest factor influencing wellbeing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think, in general, what matters the most is that there should at least be someone who cares about you. Some people need many people who care about them, and some only need one person to have the same level of wellbeing. Loneliness and wellbeing are connected.<\/p>\n

What are the future applications of your research?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have robust findings for the genetic underpinnings of wellbeing and so I think that’s important for future research. We also have learned that there\u2019s an interplay between genes and environment, and that some environmental factors are key for some people, but not for others. So that tells us to step beyond the one-size-fits-all approach.<\/p>\n

I think in an ideal world we should learn from those who do well in sub-optimal circumstances to help those who suffer. In the future, we could also create genetic scores linking genetic predisposition to wellbeing.<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The research in this article was funded by the EU’s European Research Council. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n

Published by Horizon<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Natalie Grover As the social isolation compelled by the pandemic swept many of us into a flurry of panic, grief and mental funk, a section of people actually reported improved levels of wellbeing, found biological psychologist Meike Bartels, a professor of genetics and wellbeing at VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Why do some people fare better … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":1515,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\nQ&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by\u00a0Natalie Grover As the social isolation compelled by the pandemic swept many of us into a flurry of panic, grief and mental funk, a section of people actually reported improved levels of wellbeing, found biological psychologist Meike Bartels, a professor of genetics and wellbeing at VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Why do some people fare better ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-07T20:51:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-07T20:52:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\"},\"headline\":\"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-07T20:51:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-07T20:52:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1223,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/balcony.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2020\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/\",\"name\":\"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/balcony.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-07T20:51:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-07T20:52:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/balcony.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/balcony.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":666,\"caption\":\"Around 20% of people surveyed by Prof. Bartels reported increased levels of happiness, optimism and meaning in life since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Image credit - Pixabay\\\/Pexels, licenced under CC0\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1514\\\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/horizon.magazine.eu\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/HorizonMagEU\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/horizonmagazine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic","og_description":"by\u00a0Natalie Grover As the social isolation compelled by the pandemic swept many of us into a flurry of panic, grief and mental funk, a section of people actually reported improved levels of wellbeing, found biological psychologist Meike Bartels, a professor of genetics and wellbeing at VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Why do some people fare better ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","article_published_time":"2020-12-07T20:51:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-12-07T20:52:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":666,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Horizon Magazine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Horizon Magazine","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/"},"author":{"name":"Horizon Magazine","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679"},"headline":"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic","datePublished":"2020-12-07T20:51:02+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-07T20:52:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/"},"wordCount":1223,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg","articleSection":["Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2020","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/","name":"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-07T20:51:02+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-07T20:52:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg","width":1280,"height":666,"caption":"Around 20% of people surveyed by Prof. Bartels reported increased levels of happiness, optimism and meaning in life since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Image credit - Pixabay\/Pexels, licenced under CC0"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1514\/qa-why-some-peoples-wellbeing-has-improved-during-the-pandemic\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Q&A: Why some people\u2019s wellbeing has improved during the pandemic"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679","name":"Horizon Magazine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Horizon Magazine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/horizonmagazine\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/balcony.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-oq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1763,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1763\/covid-19-hastened-the-digital-shift-with-consequences-for-the-data-divide-wellbeing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1514,"position":0},"title":"Covid-19 hastened the digital shift with consequences for the \u2018data divide\u2019, wellbeing","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"June 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes it can seem like we\u2019ve uploaded our whole lives to the internet: bank accounts, social media posts, dating profiles, work emails \u2013 it\u2019s all out there in that nebulous cloud of digital information that is the world wide web. The problems with this new digital way of life are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "ICT"","block_context":{"text":"ICT","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/ict\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/chris-montgomery-smgTvepind4-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":977,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/977\/prosperity-is-about-more-than-money-but-what-else-should-count\/","url_meta":{"origin":1514,"position":1},"title":"Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?","author":"Aisling Irwin","date":"September 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world\u2019s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come. But only eight people turned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brain & Behavior"","block_context":{"text":"Brain & Behavior","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/brain-behavior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The idea that wellbeing encompasses more than economic growth is widespread, but the problem is deciding what to measure. Image credit - Cherylholt\/ Pixabay","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/girls-462072_1920.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1768,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1768\/cities-that-connect-people-and-nature-are-a-post-pandemic-priority-conference-hears\/","url_meta":{"origin":1514,"position":2},"title":"Cities that connect people and nature are a post-pandemic priority, conference hears","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"June 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Care homes that let people age with integrity, green kindergartens and community centres that bring together people of all ages were some of the visions for how to build a better Europe presented by citizens from Estonia, Bulgaria and Poland on 24 June at the European Commission\u2019s annual flagship research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2635,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2635\/the-health-powers-of-birdsong-breezes-and-bushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1514,"position":3},"title":"The health powers of birdsong, breezes and bushes","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"January 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Nature is being harnessed in the EU to improve the wellbeing of city dwellers, including people suffering from loneliness. By \u00a0Ali Jones It was researching the health benefits of urban community gardens in Denver in the US state of Colorado that set Professor Jill Litt on a path to sow\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":870,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/870\/schools-and-media-literacy-critical-for-teen-refugees-social-wellbeing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1514,"position":4},"title":"Schools and media literacy critical for teen refugees\u2019 social wellbeing","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"July 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gareth Willmer For a teenage refugee starting a new life in Europe, going to school and using digital media form a big part of navigating an unfamiliar society. But appropriate interventions at school and online could help them feel more at home in a new country. A\u00a0quarter of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brain & Behavior"","block_context":{"text":"Brain & Behavior","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/brain-behavior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A quarter of the refugees who entered Europe in 2018 were children, and 40% of these were unaccompanied by adults. Image credit - Kylo\/ Unsplash","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2373,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2373\/social-media-stirs-worry-over-peoples-wellbeing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1514,"position":5},"title":"Social media stirs worry over people\u2019s wellbeing","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"May 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"While inspiring creativity and fostering online communities, apps like TikTok raise concerns about potential harm to users\u2019 health. By\u00a0\u00a0ANDREW DUNNE Since Jinnet Paola Pedraza (Pao_la_Periodista) first downloaded TikTok in 2019, she has become one of the social media site\u2019s biggest advocates and more popular users. Her short video reels about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brain & Behavior"","block_context":{"text":"Brain & Behavior","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/brain-behavior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/10.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/10.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/10.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/10.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}