PURPOSE

To introduce the research community to the Family Well-being Research Network’s research resources and funding opportunities, to catalyze research through this and a larger NIH effort.

DESCRIPTION

This breakout session will present a newly-launched emotional well-being research network. FAM-NET, a collaboration of the Universities of Michigan, Pittsburgh, and Harvard, sponsored by NIH, brings together scholars investigating the interdependence of health and well-being within and among family members across the lifespan, from child well-being within a family to older adults’ well-being among family members and relatives.

Emotional well-being, which includes life satisfaction, life purpose, and positive emotions, is a key public health target and an integral element of decision making. Likewise, family well-being includes the resilience and support of a family unit beyond its resources or function of its individual members. The measurement of family well-being requires both careful conceptualization of "family" and measures that are not merely the aggregation of a family's individual members’ well-being. Critical knowledge gaps exist in both understanding the research on the role of emotional well-being in health and in measuring well-being outcomes, which constrain the rigorous incorporation of emotional well-being into clinical and policy decisions. Both emotional well-being and family well-being can be influenced by policy decisions and are often considered when an individual makes decisions about healthcare.

FAM-NET’s activities will foster transdisciplinary collaborations to create, launch, and sustain a new generation of well-being researchers and innovative research activities across the lifespan, with a special emphasis on measuring family well-being and child quality of life. We will describe our web-based resources designed to aid access to measurement tools and approaches, our research funding in the form of pilot project grants, and our mentorship activities through our Research Scholar Corps. We will invite attendees to become involved in FAM-NET and answer questions about our programs.