Conversation Hour Presentation 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

The Contest Between And The Role Of Universal Or Targeted Wellbeing Interventions In Long-Term, Systems Wellbeing Implementation: A Discussion With Case Examples. (#39)

Gabrielle Kelly 1 , Mike Kyrios 2 , Rhonda Cornum 3 , Jill Antonishak 3 , Hector Escamilla 4
  1. South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, Australia
  2. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
  3. 49North , TechWerks, Richmond, Virginia, USA
  4. President, Universidad TecMilenio, Monterrey, Neuvo Leon, Mexico

In 2011, Dr Martin Seligman’s challenge that 51% of the world’s population could be flourishing by 2051, continues to drive large-scale change but each case differs according to context, culture, and scale. What do they have in common? What differs? Are universal or targeted approaches working best? What have we learned? How is success measured? 

Gabrielle Kelly, the Director of the SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre introduces the latest insights from respected case examples of building wellbeing at scale: the emergence of the LIMBER model and culture change in the State of Wellbeing since 2014; Brig. General (Ret) Dr Rhonda Cornum’s summary of the US Army Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program since 2009, Dr Jill Antonishak’s outline of 49North/Techwerks’ Airmen Resilience Training since 2013.

Is it either universal /or targeted that is most effective, or both/and? Speakers will describe hard-won adaptations, “101” basic skills fatigue, how and when data-driven decision-making is applied to implementation strategy and how to incorporate larger, relevant data sets. Lessons from wellbeing implementation, at scale, over time is the crux of this session. Acknowledging that customised, menu-driven approaches, are seen by some as an alternative to universal methods, this is a contest of ideas about change.