Conceptualizations and measurements of family flourishing and wellbeing: a scoping review

Background Rooted in positive psychology, human flourishing scholarship focuses on the presence of health and wellbeing beyond the absence of illness. Contemporary flourishing research has increasingly expanded its focus beyond individuals to larger systems, including families. Family flourishing is an emerging concept with limited clarity in its conceptualizations and measurements. This scoping review synthesized existing literature on the unit-level conceptualizations and operationalizations of family flourishing and wellbeing and examined the extent to which existing measures align with contemporary understandings of human flourishing. Methods Arksey and O'Malley's methodology and the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines were followed. Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Premier, and Web of Science. Eligible studies presented explicit unit-level conceptualizations or quantitative measures of family flourishing or wellbeing as a multidimensional construct. Only studies written in English and published since 2000 were included. Title and abstract screening, full-text screening, and data extraction were conducted by two independent researchers, while monitoring inter-coder reliability. Discrepancies were resolved through consensus in consultation with the PI. Data extraction utilized a standardized form for consistency, which was iteratively revised through discussion. Results The final sample included 13 studies, which represented diverse regions, including China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United States. Studies were published between 2005 and 2025, with most studies published since 2020. Seven quantitative measures of family wellbeing were identified while no family flourishing measures were found. Conceptualizations represented diverse roots including Aristotelian eudaimonia, Indigenous cultural beliefs, and local spiritual teachings. While boundaries were often unclear, six broad categories of conceptualizations were identified, including relational/functional. eudaimonic/existential, hedonic/emotional, social/community, socioeconomic/environmental, and spiritual/religious domains. Relational/functional domains were most frequently covered while spiritual/religious domains were least frequently covered by existing measures. Most measures were developed more than a decade ago, and psychometric evidence beyond internal consistency was limited. Conclusion Family flourishing is an underdeveloped but promising area of scholarship. Further studies are needed to achieve greater conceptual clarity and to develop culturally responsive and psychometrically robust measures. Systematic review registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E6WXM