Wellbeing (WHO-5)

Wellbeing (WHO-5) is a mood-focused measurement used to describe wellbeing in relation to mood. It provides a way to represent this aspect of wellbeing as a measurable marker.

Measure Wellbeing (WHO-5) weekly and record each result in points. Keep a dated record so you can compare one week with the next rather than relying on a single reading.

Interpret the direction consistently: higher scores indicate better wellbeing on this measure, while lower scores indicate poorer wellbeing. Use the same scoring approach each time so changes across weeks remain comparable.

This measure is scored in points, with higher results indicating better wellbeing. Use the healthy range as an orientation rather than a verdict: personal targets can differ, and one result does not define your overall wellbeing.

Because readings are taken weekly, the most useful view is the pattern across several readings. A sustained direction over time is generally more informative than focusing on a single high or low result. Consider whether your scores are stable, gradually changing, or showing a temporary fluctuation.

For meaningful comparisons, keep the timing and measurement technique as consistent as possible. Readings taken at different times or with a different approach may be less directly comparable. The plausible scoring range provides context for where a result sits, while the healthy range offers a general point of orientation rather than a personal diagnosis or treatment target.

No listed intervention directly measured the Wellbeing (WHO-5) marker itself. The available findings instead concern effects that the marker tracks, including mood, depressive symptoms, stress, and serotonin-system activity. Because the WHO-5 was not measured, these results do not establish that any intervention raises its score, although improvements in mood, depression, or stress would be directionally consistent with better wellbeing.

The interventions associated with improved mood or antidepressant effects include TENS / EMS Therapy, Ashwagandha, Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, Swimming, Hatha Yoga, St. John's Wort, and Anusara Yoga. These findings come mainly from human research, but the studied populations vary: some findings involve people with clinical conditions, some involve mixed groups, and others do not specify health status. Meditation and some antidepressant-effect findings also have conflicting evidence, so the results are not uniform across all studies.

These target what this marker tracks, though trials did not measure it directly. The serotonin-system group is more indirect still: 5-HTP, Tryptophan, Saffron Extract, and Vitamin B3 (Niacin) are described through pharmacology references or anecdotal reports rather than human trials. Their proposed relevance is to serotonin-related activity, not a demonstrated change in WHO-5.

Reported reassessment windows generally range from 4-32 weeks. Ashwagandha was studied over 90 days, while some Swimming follow-up extended to 6 mo and 12 mo. The findings therefore support interpreting these interventions as possible influences on related wellbeing domains, rather than as directly established ways to change this marker.