ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the complex concept of well-being and aims to broaden and extend your understanding of this concept. It demonstrates that well-being is understood and communicated in various ways, which can lead to confusion and uncertainty about its nature. The chapter explains the complexity in defining well-being, and explores the various domains (also known as types of well-being). It explains well-being discourses which are rooted in disciplines such as philosophy, psychology and economics. The chapter aims to provide clarity about the nature of well-being. It explores a claim by R. Raghavan and A. Alexandrova who state that a theory of child well-being does not currently exist because long-standing discourses, such as those within philosophy, were not originally written with children in mind. In terms of well-being domains and policy which relate to children and young people, there is usually more focus on emotional and physical well-being and mental health and well-being.
