Wellbeing

Title

Type

Themes

Brief description

Bartley, M., Sacker, A., Schoon, I., Kelly, M. P., & Carmona, C. (2005). Work, non-work, job satisfaction and psychological health. Evidence Review. (Link)

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The relationship between identity, wellbeing, and work and life

This evidence review is an attempt to open up a new area  of potential interest to both public health and the field of work and employment. At the time, there had been relatively little work that related job satisfaction with wellbeing. Amongst various conclusions from the review, it was found that, “Work which provides fulfilment and allows individuals control over their working lives confers considerable health benefit".

Hartung, P. J., & Taber, B. J. (2008). Career construction and subjective well-being. Journal of Career Assessment, 16(1), 75-85. (Link)

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Application of career construction theory

Incorporating subjective wellbeing goals in career discussions

This paper was an earlier effort at outlining implications for practice when incorporating wellbeing considerations. Specifically, the paper provides a review of career construction counselling, and applies the ideas to designing an intervention towards the ends of increasing clients' subjective well being: The aims of the intervention are for assisting individuals to identify and pursue self-selected goals and projects, endeavours that contribute to SWB."

Lent, R. W., & Brown, S. D. (2008). Social cognitive career theory and subjective well-being in the context of work. Journal of career assessment, 16(1), 6-21. (Link)(Paid)

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Social cognitive career theory

Subjective wellbeing 

This paper looks at wellbeing from a wider perspective through the lens of social cognitive career theory, as the basis of career development professionals helping their clients to achieve it. The authors provide a brief overview of the two primary conceptual approaches to the study of well-being in psychology, comparing 1) the hedonic idea of job satisfaction with 2) a social cognitive model that recognises multiple factors (e.g., emotional, cognitive, behavioural, social) as sources of job satisfaction. 

Strauser, D. R., Lustig, D. C., & Çiftçi, A. (2008). Psychological well-being: Its relation to work personality, vocational identity, and career thoughts. The Journal of Psychology, 142. Social cognitive career theory and subjective well-being in the context of work. Journal of career assessment, 16(1), 6-21. (1), 21-35. (Link)(Paid)

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Understanding the relationships between identity, wellbeing, and career motivations

This study helps to understand more about the ways that individuals’ characteristics affect their career motivations, behaviours and wellbeing. A range of theoretical model are also deployed to illustrate analysis of wellbeing from multiple perspectives within assessments. The study deployed is, itself, relatively small-scale (n=91 undergraduates), but shows the kind of insights that can be extracted from applying career and well-being theories in concert. Inter-relationships are found between personality, a sense of work purpose and wellbeing.

Briscoe, J. P., Henagan, S. C., Burton, J. P., & Murphy, W. M. (2012). Coping with an insecure employment environment: The differing roles of protean and boundaryless career orientations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(2), 308–316. (Link)

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Tackling job insecurity 

Supporting decent work 

Improving career capabilities and wellbeing

A sample of working adults (N=362) were surveyed in the context of the recent economic recession to explore the coping mechanisms associated with different career attitudes and their subsequent impact on important individual work outcomes. Results of statistical analysis of the survey results demonstrated that boundaryless mindset and self-directed protean career attitudes were differentially correlated with external support seeking, active coping, and identity awareness, which in turn were differentially correlated with individual work out comes of job search behaviour, performance, career success, and psychological well-being.

Robertson, P. J. (2013). The well-being outcomes of career guidance. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 41(3), 254-266. (Link)

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Career guidance as a means to support wellbeing

The researcher talks about the lack of attention for wellbeing concerns within career guidance, and the subsequent relative lack of evidence. There are reasons based on its therapeutic characteristics that mean one might expect career counselling to offer wellbeing outcomes, but proving these was elusive at the time of writing. The paper shows the state of research at the time, and calls for more research and debate, framing questions for the profession and careers researchers.

UK Government, Collection - Health, work and wellbeing – evidence and research (Link)

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Reviewing historic efforts to promote wellbeing at work.

This webpage summarises evidence, research and policy papers related to the health, work and wellbeing initiative which was conducted over a decade ago in the UK. It covers landscape reviews and government responses and also a scientific evidence review – Vocational rehabilitation: What works, for whom, and when

Friedman, H. S., & Kern, M. L. (2014). Personality, well-being, and health. Annual review of psychology, 65, 719-742. (Link)

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Understanding the relationship between work, personality, and wellbeing

This is an extensive US longitudinal study that helps to explain some of the factors that contribute to wellbeing across a life-span, and also covers a range of literature on the same topic. The role of work is described: While recognising the role for balance, the findings also advocate positive engagement in work as a means for work to best contribute to wellbeing: “Challenging work in a demanding environment is {usually assumed to bring} long-term health risks; on the contrary, individual strivings for accomplishment and persistent dedication to one’s career or community often are associated with sizable health benefits.” It helps to identify the kind of attitudes and approaches career development professionals might aspire to reach with clients to support wellbeing.

Brand, J. E. (2015). The far-reaching impact of job loss and unemployment. Annual review of sociology, 41, 359-375. (Link)

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Making the case for career guidance to support people suffering unemployment from a wellbeing perspective.

The paper provides a literature review on the impact of job loss on wellbeing. It looks beyond the immediate subject of the job loss and recognises the effects on family members too. “Research suggests that displacement is associated with subsequent unemployment, long-term earnings losses, and lower job quality; declines in psychological and physical well-being; loss of psychosocial assets; social withdrawal; family disruption; and lower levels of children’s attainment and well-being.”

De Witte, H., Pienaar, J., & De Cuyper, N. (2016). Review of 30 years of longitudinal studies on the association between job insecurity and health and well‐being: Is there causal evidence?. Australian Psychologist, 51(1), 18-31. (Link)

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The role of work in wider wellbeing

The authors review longitudinal studies on the consequences of job insecurity for health, investigating evidence for causation (“Does job insecurity influence outcomes?”), reversed causation (“Do specific outcomes predict job insecurity?”), and reciprocal causation. There is strong evidence for normal causation, in which job insecurity influences both psychological well-being and physical health over time. Clear evidence exists regarding exhaustion (burnout), general mental/psychological well-being, self-rated health, and a variety of physical complaints. 

Maree, K. (2017). The psychology of career adaptability, career resilience, and employability: A broad overview. Psychology of career adaptability, employability and resilience, 3-11. (Link)(Paid)

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Analysing the role of career capabilities in influencing career outcomes, including wellbeing

The book from which this article is taken examines how the career counselling profession should respond to the changes in the world of work that have resulted from the modern digital era. In this particular paper, the role of career capabilities - adaptability, resilience, employability - are highlighted as being particularly important for managing career and maintaining wellbeing within an environment characterised by uncertainty and change..The evidence supports the case for career guidance as a means to imbue capability.

Nielsen, K., Nielsen, M. B., Ogbonnaya, C., Känsälä, M., Saari, E., & Isaksson, K. (2017). Workplace resources to improve both

employee well-being and performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Work & Stress, 31(2), 101–120. (Link)

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Understanding considerations from the field of workplace wellbeing and the efficacy of interventions 

While not directly related to careers theory, this paper provides a useful review of 84 prior studies into the field of workplace interventions and the levels of evidence for their efficacy, towards the ends of improving workplace wellbeing.

Results show that interventions can help individuals, particularly the class of behavioural interventions. 

The paper also provides a useful observation in noting that differences in conclusions one might draw from cross sectional and longitudinal studies.

De Neve, J. E., Krekel, C., & Ward, G. (2018). Work and well-being: A global perspective. Global happiness policy report, 74-128. (LInk)

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Understanding the state of work wellbeing across the world and how data is influencing policy.

There are several measurements of global wellbeing in relation to work. The first Global Happiness Policy Report was presented at the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 10, 2018. The Global Happiness Policy Report is produced by the Global Happiness Council and contains papers by expert working groups on happiness for good governance. Our chapter on work and well-being provides evidence and policy recommendations on best practices to promote happiness and well-being in the workplace. 

Łysiak, M., & Puchalska-Wasyl, M. (2018). Functions of internal temporal dialogues. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 47(2), 210–222. (Link)

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Understanding types of internal dialogue, their role in wellbeing and happiness, towards the planning of career guidance discussions.

This paper is not specifically related to careers guidance, but discusses internal dialogue and offers some insights for a) designing or planning career discussions, and b) reflective careers practice. Internal temporal dialogues perform several important functions, namely: support, redefining the past, balancing, distancing, advising, making decisions, acquiring wisdom and managing the future. This paper uses qualitative research with n=200 people to surface insights on internal dialogue. The results are discussed with reference to the formation of well-being and happiness.

Robertson, P. J. (2018). Positive psychology and career development. British journal of guidance & counselling, 46(2), 241-254. (Link)

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Using positive psychology in career counselling

The paper considers the “positive psychology” movement that has become prominent in the early C21st as a way to help counselling clients towards resolving their challenges. Discussing the implications for its application in career counselling, the author proposes that it offers useful ideas to add, but has limitations due to neglecting social influences on career choice.

Redekopp, D. E., & Huston, M. (2018). The broader aims of career development: Mental health, wellbeing and work. In The Pursuit of Happiness (pp. 108-119). Routledge. (Link)

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Career guidance as a means to support wellbeing

Evidence for the interactive relationships between work, career development, mental health and mental illness is reviewed, with an emphasis on the relationships between work (both “good” and “bad”) and wellbeing outcomes. Evidence for counselling/guidance interventions is believed “limited”: References are made to papers that show that interventions which lead to career preparedness (bolstering career self-efficacy and preparation against setbacks) can significantly reduce symptoms of depression. Organisational interventions are also reviewed. However, mechanisms for the impact of counselling and guidance are unclear. The paper concludes with suggestions for improving wellbeing via career development interventions. 

Robertson, P. J. (2018). The impact of career guidance on the mental well-being of young people, report for the CDI (Link)

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Making the case for career guidance to contribute to the wellbeing of young people through the outcomes it achieves.

This paper provides a literature review that pulls together evidence on the role and impact of career guidance on young people. There are many reasons to consider career counselling a useful contribution to wellbeing: Practically, though career counselling is often depicted as a way to achieve the conditions in life that relate to wellbeing, rather than tackling well being directly i.e. “Career guidance supports people to access decent work, and education or training opportunities that provide access to a source of income, social contact, purposeful activity, and some healthy challenges”.

Watson, D., Tregaskis, O., Gedikli, C., Vaughn, O., & Semkina, A. (2018). Well-being through learning: A systematic review of learning interventions in the workplace and their impact on well-being. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27(2), 247-268. (Link)

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Reviewing different approaches that have been tested to support wellbeing in workplaces

This review transcends career guidance and looks at the evidence for different approaches that have been tried with the goal of enhancing employee wellbeing:This review synthesises evidence from 41 intervention studies, and although no studies report a negative impact on well-being, 14 show no effect on well-being, with 27 studies having a positive impact. Studies are classified into different groups, relating to the mechanisms they try and use to achieve their ends. The authors conclude that the area has significant research gaps. Implications for CEIAG practitioners lie in both the evidence for the actions that clients might wish to take, and to inform the content of work-place career support programmes.

Ferreira, N. (2019). Enhancing career wellbeing: The role of workplace friendship, career adaptability and organisational commitment. Theory, Research and Dynamics of Career Wellbeing: Becoming Fit for the Future, 197-216. (Link)

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Understanding methods individuals can instigate themselves (and careers practitioners can promote) toward achieving better wellbeing at work.

This chapter is a literature review into “the role of self-regulatory career behaviour (workplace friendship, career adaptability and organisational commitment) in the career wellbeing context. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to make a theoretical contribution by providing an overview of current research on workplace friendship, career adaptability and organisational commitment.” The paper identifies some considerations for career development professionals when working with clients at work and activities that could be explored. (The article itself is part of a wider collection of essays on the “Theory, Research and Dynamics of Career Wellbeing”.

Pfeiffer, S. I., & Prado, R. M. (2019). Psychotherapy Lessons that Inform Career Counselling. Handbook of Innovative Career Counselling, 615-631. (Link)

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Adopting learning from effective psychotherapy into career guidance

This book chapter describes principles often found in mental health-based psychotherapy, and discusses their application to career counselling. Drawing upon the clinical psychotherapy research literature, and personal experience as therapists, the authors focus on two factors that have been found to each play a statistically significant and clinically beneficial role in the research literature on effective psychotherapy: the psychotherapy relationship and progress monitoring. They propose that these two factors may also be relevant to career counselling.

Chadderton, C. (2020). School-to-work transitions support:‘cruel optimism’ for young people in ‘the state of insecurity’. Power and Education, 12(2), 173-188. (Link)

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Questioning the role of career guidance and balancing the concepts of ‘freedom as emancipation’ and ‘freedom as insecurity’.

The paper provides a discussion and perspective that the current school system prepares students for a “state of insecurity’, and that insecurity is promoted as freedom. the author reflects on the concept of ‘cruel optimism’, which constitutes a fantasy of a ‘good life’ which is in fact likely to be unattainable to many young people, especially the more disadvantaged.

Mehta, Y., & Hicks, R. (2020). The big five, mindfulness, and psychological well-being. GSTF Journal of Psychology (JPsych), 4(1). (Link)

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Understanding personality traits, behaviours and their relationship to wellbeing at work

This paper researches the way in which personality variables and mindfulness relate to psychological well-being: It does so through using a number of psychological models that link personality (the Big Five), mindfulness and psychological well-being within a survey of n=286 adults. Results include that mindfulness and personality both play a role in predicting psychological well-being, and supports attention to developing programs in mindfulness to help increase psychological well-being.

Redekopp, D. E., & Huston, M. (2020). The broader aims of career development: Mental health, wellbeing and work. In The Pursuit of Happiness (pp. 108-119). Routledge.(Link)

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Providing evidence, and making the case, for the impact of career guidance on wellbeing.

Understanding cases where career guidance can address wellbeing issues

This paper provides an updated view on the understanding of career development and wellbeing. Interactive relationships are reviewed between work, career development, mental health and mental illness, with an emphasis on the relationships between work (both “good” and “bad”) and wellbeing outcomes. Evidence for counselling/guidance interventions, organisational interventions and policy directions are also covered. Examples of relationships between career guidance and wellbeing come in various forms, such as providing career preparedness, reduced symptoms of depression and a counter to longer term sickness absence.

Coetzee, M., Ferreira, N., & Potgieter, I. L. (2021). Exploring the construct validity of the Career Well-being Scale for its potential application as a career development tool in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic career space. African Journal of Career Development, 3(1), 9. (Link)

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Measuring career wellbeing and devising institutional or sector wide recommendations

Using a career wellbeing assessment in a careers discussion

The authors lament the relative lack of research to provide a construct and measurement for career wellbeing.

The motivation for the paper is heightened by the recent COVID pandemic. A scale for career wellbeing is tested and validated with n=290 staff across different tiers of the service industry in South Africa. The authors conclude that the scale can be useful as a career intervention itself: “he CWS may potentially be useful in career development interventions focused on restoring clients’ perceived loss of autonomy and work volition when facing adversity and career distress.”

Ferreira, N.,Potgieter, I.L., and  Coetzee, M. (eds) (2021) Agile Coping in the Digital Workplace: Emerging Issues for Research and 

Practice. Springer (Link)

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Assessing clients capability and adaptability needs, and the implications for CEIAG, in light of the impact of digital technology on the modern career.

This is a book with a series of chapters written by experts in the field of work wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on the role of digital technology in shaping work- and career-related health. (“Scholars and practitioners agree that the dynamic and exponential evolution of technological developments, smart digital innovations and automation will have a revolutionary impact on people’s career–life experiences.”) Articles cover coping strategies, resilience, leadership responsibilities, impacts on disability.

Heinrichs, K., Hermülheim, V., Pilz González, L., & Loerbroks, A. (2021). When in doubt… Career indecision, mental wellbeing, and consultation-seeking behaviour—a qualitative interview study among students and counsellors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12604. (Link)

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Addressing mental health barriers to using career services, that prevent clients using services who might otherwise gain significant benefit.

While the potential for career guidance to help with mental health challenges is apparent, this study in Germany examined why services might not be used by those who would benefit. Research involved interviews with students who were casting doubts on their studies (n = 14) and counsellors (n = 16) working with this target group. Reasons for doubts expressed by students included insufficient information, unfulfilled expectations concerning the subject, subjectively poor study conditions, performance problems, and lacking future perspectives. Mental health problems were subjectively intertwined with such doubts, and were observed as being both cause and effect. Counselling services were evaluated as “hardly helpful” by students and as being in need of improvement by counsellors, while the authors believed guidance services need better ways to attract these students.

Hughes, D., Warhurst, C., & Duarte, M. E. (2021). Decent work, inclusion and sustainability: A new era lies ahead. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 49(2), 145-152. (Link)

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Considering the impact of decent work, and the impact of its absence, on the role for CEIAG on tackling global challenges and disadvantages.

This introduction to a special journal edition covers the particular trends and factors facing the world's workforce following COVID. "Decent work, inclusion and finding sustainable ways  to tackle poverty, displacement and inequalities is considered vital to individuals, communities and economies. The contributors to this edition bring complementary theoretical and practical perspectives from their own research and analysis of decent work, inclusion and/or sustainability issues in Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Singapore, the UK, US and West Africa."

Litchfield, P. (2021). Workplace wellbeing. Perspectives in public health, 141(1), 11-12. (Link)

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Reviewing evidence on how characteristics of work affect wellbeing

The author works for the UK’s ‘What Works?” centre for wellbeing, and in this brief paper looks at the high level conclusions from evidence of workplace practices and individual worker lifestyle factors that contribute to wellbeing. The point is made that for work to contribute to wellbeing, its effect needs to be considered more broadly than just in the workplace itself, and towards the wider impact of work on life. The author notes also that “Many companies have found that a public health approach  of primary prevention, secondary  intervention and tertiary rehabilitation is an  effective structure for workplace  implementation of wellbeing activities.” The article references further useful resources.

Campbell, F., Blank, L., Cantrell, A. et al. Factors that influence mental health of university and college students in the UK: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 22, 1778 (2022). (Link)

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Understanding factors that affect mental well being (in a higher education context)

The paper is a systematic review of observational studies that measured factors associated with student mental wellbeing, using evidence from five databases. Studies included  ones undertaken in the UK and published within the last decade (2010–2020)

Blustein, D. L., Lysova, E. I., & Duffy, R. D. (2023). Understanding decent work and meaningful work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 289-314. (Link)

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Understanding the concept of decent work and differences with meaningful work

The paper provides a review of the concept of “decent work” and what it entails. The author differentiates “decent work” and “meaningful work” though connects the ideas through the idea of satisfaction of needs. Questions in the area remain unanswered, however, leading to the researchers suggesting a research agenda towards the ends of defining decent work. The paper also applies the Psychology of Working theory, which raises consideration of the societal, organisational and individual factors that influence work-lives and the constraints that individuals face in career choices.

Russo, A., Zammitti, A., & Zarbo, R. (2023). Career readiness and well-being: The mediation role of strategies for coping with career indecision. Australian Journal of Career Development, 32(1), 14-26. (Link)

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Evaluating career self management practices and their influence on wellbeing

The study provides research that used several different models and frameworks to look at the relationship between well-being and the ways that people approach and manage their career decisions. The study used a survey with an adult population - mean age of 26 - in Italy. Both productive and support-seeking strategies were found to mediate the association between career readiness and flourishing and between career readiness and life satisfaction. The results have implications for the sort of activities career clients might be encouraged to pursue to increase well-being.

Gedikli, C., Miraglia, M., Connolly, S., Bryan, M., & Watson, D. (2023). The relationship between unemployment and wellbeing: an updated meta-analysis of longitudinal evidence. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 32(1), 128-144. (Link)

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Demonstrating the strong evidence base for the relationships between unemployment, well-being and life satisfaction

The authors provide an up-to-date quantitative synthesis of the evidence on the effect of unemployment on wellbeing based on 46 samples reported in 29 studies published between 1990 and 2020. Our sample includes longitudinal studies focusing on developed economies (e. g., EU-15 countries, UK, US, and Australia). Evidence is further developed through further analysis. “By exploring a wider range of wellbeing measures (both mental health and subjective wellbeing) and an extensive set of moderators capturing individual characteristics and country-level factors. In addition to the well-established negative impact upon mental health, our results present a negative relationship between unemployment and life satisfaction.”

Sonnentag, S., Tay, L., & Nesher Shoshan, H. (2023). A review on health and well‐being at work: More than stressors and strains. Personnel Psychology, 76(2), 473-510. (Link)

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Understanding the latest research into the factors that affect well-being at work, which suggests possible areas for career guidance to support.

The authors review the latest research into understanding which factors about work impact wellbeing. The paper covers three areas - 1) characteristics of individual workplaces (job resources, job stressors), 2) interpersonal and teamwork factors, leadership, and 3) specific employee behaviours. Cross cultural perspectives are also addressed.

Balaj, M., Henson, C. A., Aronsson, A., Aravkin, A., Beck, K., Degail, C., ... & Gakidou, E. (2024). Effects of education on adult mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health. (Link)

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Understanding the relationship between engagement in education and later life mortality, to make the case for lifelong career guidance.

This paper provides indirect benefit for career guidance, through its ability to increase childrens’ engagement in education and support ongoing learning. The study presents a recent data analysis that reviews the influence of education on wellbeing: The positive effect of education on reducing all-cause adult mortality is known; however, the relative magnitude of this effect has not been systematically quantified. Results show that every year of education is associated with increased life expectancy.

Cignetti, M. & Piacentini, M. (2024). "Beyond grades: Raising the visibility and impact of PISA data on students’ well-being," OECD Education Working Papers 313, OECD Publishing. (Link)

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Using public data that relates educational and wellbeing outcomes for students to provide and promote a broader understanding of support needs

The paper reiterates the various challenges facing high school students in modern times, and references how these create risks to wellbeing. The OECD have responded by now including well-being metrics in their PISA data, that measures educational progress for students across many international settings, to promote a more rounded set of objectives for students from education and career development. This paper describes these moves and suggests ways to elevate wellbeing outcomes further.

Hartman, J. and Brown, N. (2024), Grief and Job Loss: Integrating Grief into Career Counseling Curriculum to Prepare Future Counselors. NCDA (Link)

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Managing grief in career counselling

This review article from the NCDA in the US discusses the application of psychological, counselling and career models into careers practices towards the ends of managing client grief. 

Hughes, D., Warhurst, C., Benger, E., & Ifans, M. (2024). Building better futures: Decent work, inclusion and careers support services in the UK. In Decent Work, Inclusion and Sustainability (pp. 73-87). Routledge. (Link)

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Making the case for career services to support decent work and inclusion (in the UK)

In the light of growing job security and economic challenges, the authors review how the UK careers support landscape in each of the four home nations are changing in response to the pandemic and the subsequent impacts. The authors present the argument that “quasi-market, experimental approach to careers provision in England has significantly weakened young people’s access to professionally-trained advisers…. and the fragmented services are inadequate to support peoples’ needs.

Taris, T. W., & de Jonge, J. (2024). Workaholism: Taking Stock and Looking Forward. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11, 113-138. (Link)

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Understanding workaholism, its effects and symptoms and interventions used to address it

This literature review draws from 50 years of work into workaholism. The authors clearly delineate what workaholism is (e.g. constant thoughts about work) from what it isn’t (e.g. engagement). The paper discusses its measurement, antecedents, personal vulnerabilities, work-related factors, outcomes, and interventions. A wide range of actions have been validated as being effective, which represent considerations for career development professionals in their own practices when supporting clients with these issues.

Title

Role

Brief description

Koivisto, P. (2010). Preparing for working life: effects of group counseling on adolescents' career development and mental health (No. 92). Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. (Link)

Creating programmes to support work-life transition that account for wellbeing considerations

This short book reviews the concepts of career development and mental health and relates the two. In Chapter 2, the book reviews two studies that were designed to support successful transitions. (The “Work to Life” study and “Towards Working Life” study). As well as measuring education and employment outcomes, and the attainment of personal goals, the study also reviewed mental health. The first study showed a significant reduction in mental distress. The second suggested a reduction in the experience of financial strain. However, there were some nuanced results from both studies, such as the way that careers intervention did and didn’t help with the construction of work-life goals.

Williams, J. E. (2014). Managing and supporting adolescent students experiencing mental health issues: A case study exploring motivation and career choice in further education (Doctoral dissertation, University of the West of England, Bristol). (Link)

Understanding the support requirements of users with mental health challenges (in a UK FE college)

This doctoral thesis was based on research in a single institution, with a small number of FE students. However, it combined detailed research through deep case study analysis with stakeholder interviews to elicit the experiences and the career guidance support needs of students who were experiencing mental health challenges of different sorts. The research highlighted some specific challenges that will be faced by clients and guidance practitioners alike (notably around the idea of “learned helplessness”). The author proposes that the organisational culture in this setting did not help the students.   Some philosophical question were therefore also asked in relation to the role of staff.

Chen, C. P., & Haller, S. (2015). The role of career counselling in supporting career well-being of nurses. Australian Journal of Career Development, 24(1), 15-26. (Link)

Reducing and avoiding burnout in a caring profession

To examine the relationship between career burnout and career well-being in nurses,

the article explores the many ways career counsellors can be of service to clients in the nursing profession, improving clients’ career well-being via the enhancement of effective coping skills. In particular, the phenomenon of career burnout and its related issues and factors in nurses are identified and analysed.

Milot-Lapointe, F., Savard, R., & Le Corff, Y. (2016). Effect of Career Counselling on Mental Health: Using A Clinical Change Method/Effet du counseling de carriere sur la sante mentale: utilisation d'une methode du changement clinique. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 50(3), 278-290. (Link)(Paid)

Achieving clinical changes in mental health through careers interventions

Basing their work on clinical change in mental health, this report documented a study that investigated the effect of a career counselling process on the mental health of clients. Of the 13 clients who participated in career counselling sessions, 8 were found to have experienced a "recovery" (30.8 %) or "improvement" (30.8 %) in mental health, while no change was experienced by the other 5 (38.5 %)

Brown, C., & Yates, J. (2018). Understanding the experience of midlife women taking part in a work-life balance career coaching programme: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 16(1), 110-125. (Link)

Supporting mental health amongst mid-career women using a small-group intervention

This action-research involved five female participants, based in London, on a career coaching programme designed to  improve work-life balance. The programme 

was found to offer a safe place to support women in reconciling work and life roles with their individual values and needs. Through increasing positivity and resilience the coaching enabled participants to define and shape a better work-life balance. A detailed way that the intervention helped with wellbeing were elicited (e.g. “The positive interventions encourage participants to consciously express gratitude and savour experiences between  sessions”). The paper also contains a literature review on work-life balance for women and represents an application of action research to evaluate practice.

Fassiotto, M., Simard, C., Sandborg, C., Valantine, H., & Raymond, J. (2018). An Integrated Career Coaching and Time-Banking System Promoting Flexibility, Wellness, and Success: A Pilot Program at Stanford University School of Medicine. Academic Medicine (Ovid), 93(6), 881–887. (Link)

Implementing career coaching programmes in workplaces that achieve both better career satisfaction and higher performance

The challenges and stresses of faculty in medicine experience are described, leading to staff stress and dissatisfaction, compromising success. In this study, "a taskforce convened to diagnose the state of work-life flexibility at Stanford University School of Medicine uncovered two major sources of conflict for faculty: work-life conflict, caused by juggling demands of career and home, and work-work conflict, caused by competing priorities of the tripartite research, teaching, and clinical mission of an academic medical center combined with service and administrative tasks."  To counter this challenge, a workforce pilot program was designed that "incorporated two elements to mitigate work-life and work-work conflict: integrated career-life planning, coaching to create a customized plan to meet both career and life goals; and a time-banking system, recognizing behaviors that promote team success with benefits that mitigate work-life and work-work conflicts."  an analysis of research productivity indicated that over the two-year program, ABCC program participants received 1.3 more awards, on average, compared to a matched set of nonparticipants, a funding difference of approximately $1.1 million per person. These results suggest that it is possible to mitigate the effects of extreme time pressure on faculty at academic medical centers, even within existing institutional structures.

Coetzee, M., Ferreira, N., & Potgieter, I. L. (2021). Exploring the construct validity of the Career Well-being Scale for its potential application as a career development tool in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic career space. African Journal of Career Development, 3(1), 9. (Link)

Measuring and analysing career wellbeing in the workplace using a validated survey instrument

This paper was written in light of there being relatively little research on empirical measurements of career wellbeing. The study used the Career Wellbeing Scale within a survey to validate the measurement and demonstrate its applicability in a South African workplace. The author concluded that, “his study contributed to the career development research literature by validating the usefulness and multidimensionality of the CWS for the study sample. The CWS may potentially be useful in career development interventions focused on restoring clients’ perceived loss of autonomy and work volition when facing adversity and career distress.”

Coetzee, M. (2019). Goal facilitation theory as counselling framework for enhancing employees’ career adaptability and thriving at work. Handbook of innovative career counselling, 71-88. (Link)

Measuring career capabilities and behaviours to determine career intervention needs

This is a global study of diverse professional workers with the aim of relating three concepts: career instrumentality (i.e. the belief that meeting goals will generate rewards), career adaptability and thriving at work. The dynamics were found to change over the life span. Implications were drawn for practice: “The findings highlight organisational career instrumentality and career adaptability attitudes and behaviours as important mechanisms in career counselling intervention for understanding the dynamics between personal goal pursuit and state of thriving within the boundary conditions of clients’ life stage/” The paper thereby provided a way to measure clients’ attitudes to diagnose intervention needs towards the ends of helping clients to develop approaches to thrive.

Milot-Lapointe, Francis, et al. "Effect of individual career counseling on psychological distress: impact of career intervention components, working alliance, and career indecision." International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, vol. 20, no. 2, July 2020, pp. 243+ (Link)

Providing a a career intervention that reduces client indecision and psychological distress (applied in a higher education setting)

This was a study into the effect of career counselling on mental health indicators for higher education students in Canada. This study examined the impact of intervention components, working alliance, and career indecision on the change in psychological distress during the career counselling processes. Participants were 111 university students who received an average of 3.19 sessions of naturally occurring career counselling. Results indicated that: (a) written exercises in-session, individualised feedback and working alliance significantly predict change in psychological distress; and (b) effects of both career intervention components and working alliance on psychological distress were mediated by change in career indecision.

Nacif, A. (2021). BeWell: a group coaching model to foster the wellbeing of individuals. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 15, 171-186. (Link)

Learning from therapeutic approaches to create a group intervention for disadvantaged groups

The paper describes a group approach applied to wellbeing (not careers per se). The participants were adults from two disadvantaged/at risk groups (domestic abuse victims and people with HIV). Coachees’ well being improved after the group coaching interventions and the data analysis shows that the programme supported coachees in various areas associated with wellbeing, such as meaning, positive emotions, locus of control, and new perspectives. Furthermore, coachees reported that the coaching programme raised

 their self-awareness and provided them with a supportive environment for action and change.

dmh Associates (2022), Career development and wellbeing. A practical toolkit (Link)

Deploying tools in practice that support wellbeing

Dr Deirdre Hughes (Research Director) led an international collaborative research project, in association with Liane Hambly and Chris Percy (Senior Associates), with input from specialist practitioners and career development senior leaders from Wales, Scotland and Canada to produce this “Career Development and Wellbeing practical toolkit” The document “Building Brighter Futures” contains definitions, case studies, and a ten stage interview process. 

Petersen, IL.V.L., Mariager-Anderson, K., Patillon, TV. et al. Existential career guidance for groups of young refugees and migrants: a Danish initiative. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 22, 511–529 (2022). (Link)

Delivering a group intervention to support a group in more extreme distress and confusion (migrants)

This paper provides an example of career guidance tackling a group that are suffering from more extreme distress, namely migrants who “often find themselves struggling with feelings of alienation, identity confusion and loss of meaning.” A five-step intervention model of existential career guidance for groups is shown to support young migrants’ and refugees’ reflections on and experiences with how to live a meaningful life, while also provide benefits to the practitioner.  (NB “Migrants” are to be covered in a separate sections)

Otu, M. S., & Sefotho, M. M. (2024). Use of cognitive-behavioural career coaching to reduce work anxiety and depression in public employees. World Journal of Clinical Cases, 12(2), 322-334. (Link)

Applying cognitive- behavioural career coaching to support working clients with high degrees of anxiety or depression

This study in Nigeria examined whether a career coaching intervention could support public employees that were suffering a high degree of stress and depression. A total of 120 public employees (n = 60) suffering from severe anxiety and depression were randomly assigned to the treatment or control groups. Analysis indicated a significant effect was achieved from cognitive- behavioural career coaching on work anxiety and depression.

Percy, C., Bartley, E., Hambly, L., Hughes, D., & Lawrence, N. (2024). Embedding wellbeing in career development practice: trialling a new structure for guidance conversations in Scotland and Wales. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 52(1), 36-51. (Link)

Embedding wellbeing considerations into guidance discussions

The authors report a lack of confidence from some practitioners in using guidance to address clients with wellbeing challenges. This practitioner-researcher collaboration explored the question: “how can we embed wellbeing more explicitly into guidance practice?” Consultations with practitioners and researchers from Canada, England, Scotland, and Wales led to this pilot which was tested in Scotland and Wales. Quantitative evaluations, supported by four case examples, show customer wellbeing progress during initial guidance interviews and gains in practitioner confidence following training.

Stavropoulou, E., Pezirkianidis, C., Kounenou, K., & Stalikas, A. (2024). A Pilot Strength-based group counselling intervention in career calling and wellbeing. Hellenic Journal of Psychology. 21(1), 98-121 (Link).

Using an online group exercise to increase career calling, wellbeing and character strengths (applied in higher education)

The study investigated the implementation and effectiveness of an internet-delivered group counselling intervention called "What is your superpower?", which aimed to enhance career calling, well-being, and character strengths among young adults. Twenty-five Greek undergraduate university students participated in the study and were divided into two groups. The experimental group attended the six-week program. The results showed positive outcomes for the group, which were sustained in a follow-up survey a month later..

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Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.(Acas) (Link)

Acas are the UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.  offering employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice. They are also active in publishing studies, such as to understand workplace conflict, creating conditions for employees to produce good quality work, supporting equality, diversity and inclusion, and a particular theme on wellbeing at work.

Chartered Institute for People Development (CIPD) (Link)

The CIPD are the professional body for HR and people development. The CIPD publishes studies on all aspects of working lives and organisational practices. (See the ‘Data sources’ section below). Some specific studies have covered wellbeing aspects.

Harvard Centre for Work, Health and Wellbeing (Link)

The Center is one of 10 Centers of Excellence funded in the US to conduct research on the concepts of “Total Worker Health”. The centre publishes frequent research studies back to the early 2010s to understand workplace wellbeing and its determinants.

Health and Safety Executive (Link)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. The role of the organisation is about “protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives”. The HSE produce ongoing tracker data (see Data source below), assessment tools and other articles.

London Centre for Work and Health (Link)

A relatively recent enterprise having only been founded in 2022, the LCWH aims to “facilitate  working-age people to have and maintain healthy, fulfilling work through a multidisciplinary research centre focusing on work and health.” The centre has already produced a range of research studies.

Mental Health Foundation (Link)

Since 1949, the Mental Health Foundation has been leading the UK in building good mental health.The Foundation are highly active in research and their publications provide evidence-based information on a variety of mental health topics.

Mind (Link)

Mind are a leading charity focussed on supporting people disproportionately affected by mental health issues (from racialised communities, young people, and people living in poverty.)  Mind’s research studies support their lobbying strategy and also raises different aspects of mental wellbeing challenges that are particularly relevant to vulnerable groups.

Wellbeing Research Centre (Link)

The Wellbeing Research Centre is an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Oxford focused on the empirical study of wellbeing. It covers research on wellbeing across the life course and in the context of schools, businesses and public policy. The main focus of research is on measures that capture how people feel about their lives and what the causes and consequences are of differences in wellbeing between individuals as well as changes over time.

What works wellbeing? (Link)

The UK’s independent body for wellbeing evidence, policy and practice. The body publishes a wide range of case studies in different UK settings and show evaluation approaches.

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BMC Public Health (Link)

BMC Public Health is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers all aspects of public health. The journal has a special focus on the social determinants of health, the environmental, behavioural, and occupational correlates of health and disease, and the impact of health policies, practices and interventions on the community.

International Journal of Behavioural Development (Link)

The International Journal of Behavioral Development (IJBD) promotes the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge about developmental processes at all stages of life.

Human Development (Link)

This is a well established journal examining the processes of human development. While mainly based in psychological ideas, it encourages publications from wider fields.

International Journal of Social Welfare (Link)

The International Journal of Social Welfare publishes original articles in English on social welfare and social work that focus on contemporary social issues such as poverty and inequality, child welfare, health, mental health, migration and immigrants, and ageing.

International Journal of Wellbeing (Link)

An open access, peer reviewed journal promoting interdisciplinary research on wellbeing.

Journal of Happiness Studies (Link)

The international peer-reviewed Journal of Happiness Studies is devoted to theoretical and applied advancements in all areas of well-being research. It covers philosophy, economics, international development, politics, sociology, among other topics, and interdisciplinary studies.

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities (Link)

The peer-reviewed journal of the Human Development and Capabilities Association launched in January 2000, and provides a multidisciplinary coverage on policy and practices related to human development. Topics span economic, social, political, institutional and environmental issues.

Journal of Occupational and Organisational psychology (Link)

Am international journal publishing research on contemporary industrial, organisational, work, vocational, personnel psychology, human factors, industrial relations and industrial sociology. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches are encouraged/

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (Link)

The journal includes theory, research, and public policy articles in occupational health psychology. The journal has a threefold focus, including organisation of work, individual psychological attributes, and work–nonwork interface in relation to employee health, safety, or well-being

Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (Link)

A peer-reviewed journal dedicated to research studying the life course and using longitudinal methods at the interfaces of social, developmental and health sciences. (This is the journal of the Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (SLLS))

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CIPD Good Work Index (Link)

The CIPD Good Work Index is an annual benchmark of job quality in the UK. Each year, we survey more than 5,000 workers from different sectors and occupations about key aspects of their work and employment to offer evidence-based insights for people professionals, employers and policy-makers to improve work and working lives.

CIPD Wellbeing at work fact sheets (Link)

The CIPD summarise research into a series of fact sheets that show the importance of wellbeing.

CIPD Working Lives Survey. Job Quality Index (Link)

A survey that measures the UK workforce’s perceptions of their job quality. The study compares international indicators.

Confederation of British Industry, Work Health Index (Link)

The CBI poll members and measure a “work health index” that covers working days lost, costs, and the cost of health interventions taken by British Business.

European Working Conditions Survey (Link)

Longitudinal data set and trends from Europe from 1990 measuring workplace welling. It covers issues such as employment status, working time duration and organisation, work organisation, learning and training, physical and psychosocial risk factors, health and safety, work–life balance, worker participation, earnings and financial security, work and health, and most recently also the future of work.

Health and Safety Executive - employee surveys (Link)

The HSE report various data and provide reports in health and wellbeing matters at work, such as the HSE Management Standards Indicator tool. One of the key indicators that they track is the number of lost days at work due to health or safety related issues.

NHS, Data (Link)

The NHS publishes more than 200 data sets on regional and national health matters. Data sets cover the prevalence of issues, while reports also summarise the data for policy.

OECD, Child wellbeing dashboard (Link)

The OECD Child Well being Dashboard is a tool for policy makers and the public to monitor countries’ efforts to promote child well being. It has 20 key internationally comparable indicators on children’s well being outcomes, plus a range of additional context indicators on important drivers. (Many more datasets on related themes can be found from the OECD;s data observatory while wellbeing-related metrics captured in the OECD database are defined here)

Office of National Statistics, Wellbeing of Children dataset (Link)

The data show how children aged 0 to 15 years in the UK are coping in a range of areas that matter to their quality of life, reflecting the circumstances of their lives and their own perspectives. This is a subset of the children's well-being indicators.

The Children’s Society, Good Childhood Index (Link)

The Good Childhood Index is an index of subjective wellbeing for children aged eight and over. it covers the main aspects of children’s lives, including those identified by children themselves. Wellbeing themes are integral to many of the metrics measured..

The UK Insecure Work Index (Link)

his is an annual UK survey that measures different aspects of work insecurity in the UK.

UK Government, Personal well being (Link)

A government survey that measure life satisfaction, worthwhile, happiness, and anxiety, by select geographies including local authority level and individual characteristics and circumstances.

World Health Organisation (Link)

The World Health Organisation capture and report on a vast number of metrics across the world, supporting trend analysis and country profiling.