Five Ways to Wellbeing: holistic narratives of public health programme participants

Abstract

This paper reports on a study which formed part of a qualitative process evaluation of a wellbeing programme in North West England. The study used the biographic narrative interpretive method (BNIM) to undertake and analyse data from interviews with six participants from diverse projects within the programme. This generated rich case studies and spotlighted cross-case commonalities, building understanding of how the programme achieved its effects. We present findings using the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, presenting one abridged ‘case’ and summarising cross-cutting themes. We explore how BNIM gives insight into the psychosocial complexity of wellbeing, building understanding of its holistic and dynamic nature, and then highlight the flexibility, resonance and widespread appeal of Five Ways to Wellbeing. In concluding, we argue that by enabling participants to tell their own stories of participation in the different projects, we gain a more authentic understanding of the ‘whole’ story of how involvement has affected wellbeing. Such approaches are crucial as wellbeing becomes a central concept in global health policy and promotion.