O CONCEITO DE FELICIDADE E BEM-ESTAR NA PERSPECTIVA DA PSICOLOGIA POSITIVA

Abstract

Since ancient Greece, thephilosopher Aristotle has studied the riddle of the essence of happiness. According to Seligman (2004) happiness is defined as a subjective construct, which in the scientific field refers to well-being. After decades of studies, the concept of well-being has evolved by the definitions of global well-being versus material well-being; and the distinction between psychological well-being versus subjective well-being (Galinha & Ribeiro, 2005). The researchers were able to improve the concept of well-being in the scientific field of psychology and transform it one of the most discussed and applied themes in the conception of the psychological factors that underlie a healthy life (Siqueira & Padovan, 2008). Thus, the present study aimed to analyze the concept and variables that underlie happiness and well-being in the light of positive psychology, performing an analysis of the content in the Scielo database. We carried out a bibliographic review, in which we included studies published in the Portuguese language, between the years 1983 to 2018. We found 518 articles of which 8 were selected that analyzed the variables involved in happiness and well-being in childhood, adolescence, adulthood and in the elderly. The main results referred to the categories most cited in the studies: categories associated with the terms happiness and well-being, and the participants' perception of what it means to have a happy life. The main variables related to happiness were: positive feelings and states, family, friends and religion, health, school, work and satisfaction with life. We conclude that the terms studied have several definitions, among them that happiness and well-being demonstrate a low explanation for the sociodemographic characteristics, however it is positively associated with individuals' emotional and psychological issues.