Neural correlates of eudaimonic well-being assessed via Ryff's psychological well-being scales : A systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Mental health represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, yet the neuroscientific understanding of what human flourishing means remains relatively unexplored. Eudaimonic well-being (EWB), as defined via Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being (PWB) Scales, is one of the most prominent conceptualisations of eudaimonia, encompassing six dimensions including autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Despite growing interest in the neuroscience of well-being, no systematic review has examined the functional neural correlates of EWB as specifically defined by Ryff’s PWB Scales. This review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and searched for peer-reviewed empirical studies published between January 2015 and February 2026 on the databases Medline and Scopus. Five studies were included, employing either fMRI or MEG to measure neural activity in healthy adults. Across the included studies, EWB was associated with brain activity and connectivity in regions involved in self-referential processing, emotional regulation, and default mode network activity, including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, posterior superior temporal gyrus, thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral occipital and temporal cortices. Two studies reported indirect associations mediated through dispositional mindfulness and daily positive affect respectively, with indirect associations located in the right inferior frontal gyrus and left amygdala. While the existing findings remain limited and methodologically heterogeneous, they serve as an early foundation for a deeper neuroscientific understanding of EWB. For future research, larger and more diverse sample groups should be prioritised, alongside greater methodological consistency, to strengthen the generalisability of future findings.
Authors: Eterovic, Gabrijela, Aldabag, Obey
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7167302908