Well-Being in a Deeply Religious Society in the Shadows of War: Results of a Household Survey of Kuwaitis

The present study was designed to determine the current level and distribution of well-being among Kuwaiti citizens who have lived either in the middle or in the shadows of war since Kuwait was invaded by Iraq in August 1990.  A measure of Kuwaiti well-being, the Kuwaiti Raha Scale, was developed and utilized as the primary indicator in the first National Household Survey (NHS) of well-being in Kuwait.  The findings presented are part of an international program of research focusing on national trauma and mental health for which the Kuwaiti NHS was developed.  From a population of 935,922 (2004),  830 households were randomly drawn, from which 487 were approached and 416 successfully recruited and surveyed.  In contrast to prevailing views in the literature, level o fwell-being (Raha) was not associated with either educational attainment or wealth.  Rather, the results indicate that well-being is more associated with health and religion.  Implications of these findings for a new theory of well-being in a deeply religious society are offered along with suggestions for a program of research.  The policy implications of the NHS are also discussed.