Determinants of happiness among healthcare professionals between 2009 and 2019: a systematic review

Abstract

Happiness is characterized by experiencing positive emotions while simultaneously perceiving one’s life as meaningful and worthwhile. Research on the mental health of healthcare professionals usually focuses on psychopathology as opposed to the positive aspects of mental health. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine recent literature on individual-level and organization-level determinants of healthcare professionals happiness. The EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published between 2009 and 2019 that focused on happiness among healthcare professionals. Based on the eligibility criteria, both quantitative and qualitative studies were selected for this systematic review. The final review included a total of 18 studies. The main measures of healthcare professionals happiness in cross-sectional and intervention studies were self-report measures, and the main measures of happiness in qualitative studies were interviews. Multiple determinants of healthcare professionals happiness were identified in this systematic review. The interplay between individual-level and organization-level determinants collectively contributes to the happiness of healthcare professionals. Existing evidence highlights the importance of healthcare professionals happiness in the strengthening of the healthcare workforce and healthcare systems. This review also highlights the importance of health policy makers, health authorities and healthcare professionals in creating and effectively implementing policies and strategies to increase healthcare professionals happiness. Future similar studies should use large and more heterogeneous samples of healthcare professionals from various settings to generate contextually relevant and robust evidence regarding methods to enhance healthcare professionals happiness and ultimately the performance of health systems globally.

A cross-sectional study on the pursuit of happiness among healthcare workers in the context of health systems strengthening: The case of Meru County, Kenya.

“…In comparison, there is a dearth of research on healthcare workers' positive mental health aspects such as happiness, especially in low-and middle-income countries 6,7 . To effectively develop and implement happiness policy among healthcare workers, empirical research is necessary 8 .…”

“…In this study, healthcare workers are individuals trained to practice ethical and evidence-based medicine, and to provide quality health services 9 . Recently, an extensive systematic review on the determinants of healthcare professionals' happiness reported that there is currently no universal definition of happiness 8 . In this study, happiness is viewed as the main result of positive affect and an intrinsic feeling that one's life is purposeful and worth living 10 .…”

Senior Managers’ Experience with Health, Happiness, and Motivation in Hospitals and the Perceived Impact on Health Systems: The Case of Meru County, Kenya

“…Quantitative studies in the Kenya assessing healthcare workers’ happiness [ 14 ], health-related quality of life [ 15 ], and motivation [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] have also been published. In 2020, systematic reviews on healthcare workers happiness globally [ 20 ] and motivation in East Africa [ 21 ] were also published. These studies and reviews revealed an existing literature gap in healthcare workers’ experience of happiness, health, and motivation in the context of health systems, especially in the African region [ 15 , 16 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…In 2020, systematic reviews on healthcare workers happiness globally [ 20 ] and motivation in East Africa [ 21 ] were also published. These studies and reviews revealed an existing literature gap in healthcare workers’ experience of happiness, health, and motivation in the context of health systems, especially in the African region [ 15 , 16 , 20 , 21 ]. Many of these studies measured these phenomena quantitatively, and hitherto regarded as more objective and reliable because of the numeric data [ 22 ].…”

“…Currently there is no universal definition of happiness, health status, and motivation. In this study, a happy person is one that experiences positive emotions and intrinsically perceives their life as meaningful and valuable [ 20 , 23 ]. Health status in this study, is viewed as a multifaceted concept that entails an individuals’ evaluation of their physical, mental, and social well-being [ 15 , 24 , 25 ].…”