Resources

There is so much great information out there on the science of wellbeing that isn’t included on our website. Our research tends to be focussed on how to fit wellbeing considerations into public policy. But there are a whole host of other wellbeing topics out there that we don’t cover in great detail. Our resources page outlines where we believe are some of the best places to get this information.

Online courses

  1. Berkeley Science of Happiness: This course is offered for free by edX and focuses on the main findings from positive psychology and the links it has with other research disciplines such as the fields of psychology, neuroscience and evolutionary biology.

  2. Yale Science of Wellbeing: This course is also free by Coursera and includes a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits.

Books

The books listed below are all incredibly well researched and informative. They generally cover similar topics, but their target audiences differ a little. Paul Dolan’s books look at happiness through the lens of a behavioural economist, while Richard Layard’s books are useful for anyone that has an interest in learning more about the link between public policy and happiness. Both Layard’s and Dolan’s books cover technical topics but in an accessible way. ‘The Origins of Happiness’ reads more like a research article than the typical non-fictional book that you might find in your local bookstore. Lastly, Meik Wiking’s ‘The Key to Happiness’ is a highly readable book for anyone looking to dip their toe into the science of happiness.

  1. ‘Can We Be Happier?’ - Richard Layard (2021)

  2. ‘Happy Ever After’ - Paul Dolan (2020)

  3. The Key to Happiness - Meik Wiking (2019)

  4. The Origins of Happiness - Andrew E. Clark, Sarah Flèche, Richard Layard, Nattavudh Powdthavee and George Ward (2019)

  5. Happiness by Design - Paul Dolan (2015)

Research organisations

  1. UN World Happiness Report: An annual report from experts that includes a ranking of countries across the world in terms of their happiness, as well as leading research in the science of happiness and wellbeing.

  2. What Works Wellbeing: The UK’s independent body for wellbeing evidence, policy and practice. They produce wellbeing research with useful proposals of how to put this evidence into action.

  3. The Happiness Research Institute: They are an independent think tank that explore why some societies are happier than others. Their mission is to inform decision-makers on the evidence related to human happiness and improve overall quality of life for citizens across the world.

  4. London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance: They produce leading research on ways to create a fair, inclusive and sustainable society.

Charities putting wellbeing science into action

  1. Pro Bono Economics: They use economics to empower the social sector and to increase wellbeing across the UK. This means combining project work for individual charities and social enterprises with policy research that can drive systemic change.

  2. Action for Happiness: They look to bring together like-minded people from all walks of life and help them take practical action, drawing on the latest scientific research. Their programmes have been developed by leading experts from diverse fields including psychology, education, economics and social innovation.

Where to take a look at wellbeing data

If you didn’t already know, we do have a page on our website dedicated to summarising wellbeing data. However, if you’d like to go straight to the source, here is a list of some great places to get your teeth stuck into:

  1. UN World Happiness Report data

  2. Our World in Data

  3. The UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) wellbeing measures

  4. Happy Planet Index

  5. OECD’s Better Life index

Mental health support

Our helpful resources page covers a range of options for supporting your mental health.