What's Well & Good in Policy

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Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Subscribe for the premium version of this podcast: https://paperboy.fm/podcasts/public-policy-health-and-welfare/subscribe

Episodes

  1. Jul 22

    Do Benefit Caps Harm Children? Plus: Paid Family Leave

    Across UK child welfare limits, U.S. paid family leave, and flexible work for adult care, the episode asks when policy changes the conditions that shape wellbeing. Covers 2026-07-13 to 2026-07-20; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-07-13 – 2026-07-20. Top papers Social investment versus workfare policies: Exploring the impact on recipients’ subjective well-being and trust in welfare state caseworkers in a Dutch social assistance experiment The impact of paid family leave on parent and infant health outcomes: a systematic review of quasi-experimental research. Who benefits more from an improved social health insurance? Evidence from supplementary high-cost illness insurance in China. A hybrid implementation-effectiveness study of a school-based intervention for promoting health and well-being in low-resource settings: the ISOBAR study protocol A framework for analysing family policy and an application to the UK Themes: mental health, public health, sustainability, wellbeing, health equity, resilience, community engagement, COVID-19 Methods: qualitative, survey, case-study, systematic review, thematic analysis, quantitative Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including news.gallup.com — Wellbeing, frontiersin.org — Climate change, health and environmental policy in Africa - Frontiers, and lowyinstitute.org — Beijing’s welfare bill that no one wants to pay | Lowy Institute. Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Do Benefit Caps Harm Children? Plus: Paid Family Leave
  2. Jul 13

    Green Space + Urban Regeneration: Can Places Improve Wellbeing?

    New papers connect urban regeneration, early-life greenness, youth climate distress, telework, and basic-income linkage to the practical question of how wellbeing policy gets measured. Covers 2026-07-06 to 2026-07-13; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-07-06 – 2026-07-13. Top papers What's good in the neighbourhood? Examining the wellbeing impacts of urban regeneration using administrative data Designing, implementing and evaluating an evidence-based and trauma-informed mental health service integrated with a gynaecology service: a research protocol Use of data linkage and LEO data in the evaluation of the Basic Income Pilot in Wales Prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among older adults during COVID-19 lockdowns: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Impact of School-Based Interventions on Adolescents’ Digital Use and Mental Wellbeing: A Systematic Review and Arm-Based Random-Effects Meta-Analysis Themes: mental health, public health, COVID-19, work-life balance, anxiety, older adults, adolescents, social prescribing Methods: qualitative, survey, case-study, quantitative, cross-sectional, thematic analysis Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including news.gallup.com — Wellbeing, news.fundsforngos.org — WHO Europe Study Reveals Major Gaps in Mental Health Monitoring Across the European Region - fundsforNGOs News, and news.gallup.com — Social and Policy Issues | Gallup Topic. Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Green Space + Urban Regeneration: Can Places Improve Wellbeing?
  3. Jul 6

    R U OK? Day + Early-Years Costs: When Wellbeing Gets Specific

    From Australia’s R U OK? Day to UK early-years microsimulation, the episode asks what policy can do when wellbeing is measured, delivered, and tested in detail. Covers 2026-06-29 to 2026-07-06; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-06-29 – 2026-07-06. Top papers Comparative social costs of six early years disadvantages: a birth cohort microsimulation study. EXPRESS: Are You Okay? Effects of a National Peer-Support Campaign on Mental Health Social Protection Policy and Poverty Reduction: Evaluating Welfare Programs for Marginalized Communities Receipt of Paid Family Leave and Intimate Partner Violence for Women Employed During the Perinatal Period. Rethinking wellbeing measurement: learning from a scale development study with adolescents living with HIV in Zimbabwe Themes: mental health, public health, wellbeing, well-being, adolescents, resilience, social welfare, sustainable development Methods: qualitative, survey, quantitative, scoping review, case-study, literature review Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including who.int — New study reveals gaps in how mental health is measured in ..., youtube.com — What India's biggest health survey reveals and what it leaves out, and outlookmoney.com — Health Awareness Is Up, But India’s Wellbeing Gap Is Widening - Outlook Money. Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    R U OK? Day + Early-Years Costs: When Wellbeing Gets Specific
  4. Jun 29

    Do wellbeing systems fail on fit? Plus: NHS CHECK and Grenfell

    Across 116 qualified papers, the clearest thread is that wellbeing policy works when support matches the setting, affected people, and delivery system. Covers 2026-06-22 to 2026-06-29; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-06-22 – 2026-06-29. Top papers All that matters is personal development: A conservation of resources perspective on the well-being of cross-border migrant Hong Kong and Macao youth in Mainland China. The effects of forest resource capitalization on farm household wellbeing Providing Mental Health and Substance Use Services to People Released From Custody During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Service Providers. Can Care Service and ALMP Reduce Female Migrant Penalty in the Labour Market? A Multilevel Analysis of 16 Western European Countries Mental health of healthcare workers in England during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic: The NHS CHECK study cohort. Themes: mental health, public health, COVID-19, work-life balance, resilience, employee well-being, sustainability, wellbeing Methods: qualitative, survey, case-study, quantitative, longitudinal, systematic review Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including kff.org — KFF - The independent source for health policy research, polling ..., news.gallup.com — USA | Gallup Topic, and ground.news — Mexico Launches National Mental Health Strategy for Young ... Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Do wellbeing systems fail on fit? Plus: NHS CHECK and Grenfell
  5. Jun 22

    Do screen-time rules fit the data? Plus: Kiryandongo water access

    From social media and adolescent mental health to water access in Uganda, the week points toward policies built on measured risk, reachable services, and local trust. Covers 2026-06-15 to 2026-06-22; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-06-15 – 2026-06-22. Top papers Wellbeing Ways: protocol for assessing and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' wellbeing in Queensland secondary schools Factors affecting well-being among retired older adults: A protocol for an umbrella review Perceived Impact of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) on Learner-Beneficiaries in the Public Elementary Schools of Oas North District, Schools Division of Albay A Descriptive Study to Assess the Life Satisfaction, Self-Esteem and Health Related Behaviour among Pensioners and Non-Pensioners in Elderly Population of Selected Areas in Distt. Sirmaur, H.P THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST AS A PROFESSIONALLY GUARANTEED COMPONENT OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS FROM THE MEDIATION OF SCHOOL CONFLICTS TO SYSTEMIC CARE FOR STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH Themes: mental health, public health, COVID-19, well-being, depression, health policy, adolescents, governance Methods: qualitative, survey, case-study, quantitative, literature review, cross-sectional Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including youtube.com — What India's biggest health survey reveals and what it leaves out, health.ec.europa.eu — Mental health - Public Health - European Commission, and afrobarometer.org — AD1191: Most Africans continue to experience economic hardship ... Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Do screen-time rules fit the data? Plus: Kiryandongo water access
  6. Jun 15

    Do 10 More Work Hours Cut Sleep? Plus: Healthy City Pilots

    A 10-hour workweek increase is linked to more fatigue and less sleep, while city, migration, and food insecurity findings put implementation at the center of well-being policy. Covers 2026-06-08 to 2026-06-15; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-06-08 – 2026-06-15. Top papers How work hours affect well-being: A target trial emulation Revisiting ‘low politics’: the geopolitical contours of the EU Work–Life Balance Directive From green to gold: Synergistic enhancement of residents' well-being and ecological quality under China's "two mountains" pilots zones. Examination of the effects of the National Pension Scheme Authority Partial Withdrawal on the Socio-economic Status of Contributors in Lusaka District, Zambia Mental Health Outcome Trends in a Nationally Representative Sample of Canadian Migrant Adolescents From 2014 to 2022 Themes: mental health, public health, higher education, work-life balance, health policy, well-being, governance, community engagement Methods: qualitative, survey, case-study, quantitative, interviews, systematic review Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including policycircle.org — NFHS-6 exposes India's unfinished health governance agenda, kff.org — Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker - KFF, and commonwealthfund.org — U.S. Health Care from Global Perspective 2026 Expanded Edition. Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Do 10 More Work Hours Cut Sleep? Plus: Healthy City Pilots
  7. Jun 8

    When access is governance: cancer drugs + digital welfare

    This week follows how eligibility becomes real help or exclusion when governance, reimbursement pathways, digital identity, and frontline bureaucracy shape access. Covers 2026-06-01 to 2026-06-08; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-06-01 – 2026-06-08. Top papers Research review on the effectiveness of youth and rangatahi mental health early intervention and secondary prevention approaches Energy Anxiety And Subjective Wellbeing Among Marginalised Communities: Evidence From Rural India Reframing access to innovative oncology medicines: The impact of policy and governance reform in a Bismarck-type system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The impact of sustainable indigenous tourism on indigenous rights and community well-being moderated by empowering communities in Lake Toba, Indonesia PROPEL: Capturing the lived experience of lung cancer for patients and caregivers. Themes: mental health, COVID-19, work-life balance, quality of life, burnout, health policy, policy analysis, public health Methods: qualitative, survey, quantitative, case-study, mixed-methods, interviews Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including eur.nl — Scaling Universal Health Coverage: lessons from Indonesia's health ..., healthaffairs.org — Health Affairs: Leading Publication of Health Policy Research & Insight, and who.int — Mental health EURO. Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    When access is governance: cancer drugs + digital welfare
  8. Jun 1

    Housing routes + patient voice: when wellbeing support becomes usable

    Wellbeing gains appear where access routes, staffing, governance, and lived experience are built into housing, healthcare, schools, and city policy. Covers 2026-05-25 to 2026-06-01; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Episode covers 2026-05-25 – 2026-06-01. Top papers Implementation, Outcomes, and Sustainability of a School‐Based Physical Activity Initiative Healthy New Communities: An Equity‐Based Population Health Approach to Improving Health Outcomes for Refugee and Migrant Communities Havruta-structured dialogue as a social–emotional competence intervention: multi-stakeholder evidence on university students’ mental health Understanding mental health dimensions through socio-demographic, policy and urban planning frameworks Deserving, Desirable and Undesirable Migrants: How Routes of Entry Affect Access to Housing Support and Impact Wellbeing Themes: mental health, work-life balance, sustainability, wellbeing, planetary health, employee well-being, higher education, organizational culture Methods: qualitative, survey, quantitative, thematic analysis, mixed-methods, case-study Premium News Premium also covers 10 related news stories, including mentalhealtheurope.org — Policy Brief - Stronger Together: A Path Towards an EU Mental ..., constructionsupplymagazine.com — Mexico's 8.3 Million-Home Deficit: What the "Housing for Wellbeing ..., and apcoworldwide.com — The Policy Agenda for Health in China's 15th 5-Year Plan. Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Housing routes + patient voice: when wellbeing support becomes usable
  9. May 25

    Does Finnish UBI Close Regional Gaps? Plus: Beyond GDP Budgets

    From Finland’s UBI trial to Beyond GDP implementation, the episode asks how universal promises survive local inequality, mental health system gaps, and budget rules. Covers 2026-05-18 to 2026-05-25; 5 free papers from 40 selected papers. Research papers related to ISQOLS SIG "Public Policy Health And Welfare" Episode covers 2026-05-18 – 2026-05-25. Top papers Regional Inequalities and the Plea for Universalism: Evidence from the Finnish UBI Experiment Revisiting the Determinants of Subjective Well-Being in a Developing Context: Longitudinal Evidence from South Africa Public Policy Evaluation of Free Health Social Security: Social Equity, Governance, and Access in Maluku Province GENDER EQUALITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF WOMEN WELFARE PROGRAMMES IN SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION Building a Resilience Ecosystem to Improve Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing in Canadian High-Stress Low-Control Occupations Themes: mental health, wellbeing, work-life balance, governance, COVID-19, sustainability, education, well-being Methods: qualitative, survey, quantitative, case-study, mixed-methods, interviews In the news who.int — Mental health EURO news.gallup.com — USA | Gallup Topic ec-europa-eu.libguides.com — Recent EU publications - Wellbeing at Work - EC Library Guides openknowledge.worldbank.org — Publication: Extending Health Insurance to the Rural Population openknowledge.worldbank.org — Psychological Health Before, During, and After an Economic Crisis ... oecd.org — The future of health systems - OECD Upgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 10 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Does Finnish UBI Close Regional Gaps? Plus: Beyond GDP Budgets
  10. May 18

    Mental Health, Social Protection, School Health, Health Equity, Workplace Wellbeing

    Research papers related to ISQOLS SIG "Public Policy Health And Welfare" Episode covers 2026-05-11 – 2026-05-18. Top papers Enhancing teacher occupational wellbeing: the critical role of working environment in Chinese primary schoolsHow to Find the Most Inclusive Living WageAssessment of Government Support for Social Security Services on Improving the Socio-Economic Welfare of Retirees in Kinondoni DistrictInaugural year of regulated psilocybin services in Oregon: safety, motivations, and utilizationCarbon Emission Trading System, Digital Finance and Individual Health: Evidence from ChinaThemes: mental health, public health, sustainability, sustainable development, COVID-19, health equity, work-life balance, well-being Methods: qualitative, survey, quantitative, mixed-methods, case-study, literature review In the news atlasinstitute.org — China's New Role in the World Health Organizationnewvision.co.ug — How China is keeping to its strict 'zero COVID' strategy - New Visionthenewsminute.com — India talks mental health, but its budget still tells a different storyndtv.com — Better Health For Women, Stronger Economy For India - NDTVdailypioneer.com — Hypertension: India's biggest public health emergency - The Pioneerhealthcareitnews.com — India unveils digital health aggregator platform - Healthcare IT NewsUpgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 3 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Mental Health, Social Protection, School Health, Health Equity, Workplace Wellbeing
  11. May 14

    Mental Health, Health Equity, Work-Life Balance, Older Adults, Employee Well-Being

    Research papers related to ISQOLS SIG "Public Policy Health And Welfare" Episode covers 2026-05-04 – 2026-05-11. Top papers Matthew D. Adler, Risk, Death, and Well-Being: The Ethical Foundations of Fatality Risk Regulation (New York: Oxford University Press, 2025)Ignorance is Whose Bliss: The Repeal of Compulsory Premarital Health Examinations and Marital Outcomes in Rural ChinaThe Impact of Outpatient Pooling Reform on Patients’ Out-of-Pocket Burden: Evidence from ChinaBeyond Assumptions: What Students Really Think About School Wellbeing ProgramsEvaluation of the Emergency Response Mental Health Support Program for Ukrainian Refugee Families in PolandThemes: mental health, public policy, public health, health equity, work-life balance, sustainability, well-being, employee well-being Methods: qualitative, survey, quantitative, case-study, thematic analysis, systematic review In the news caixinglobal.com — China Mandates Nationwide Mental Health Coverage by 2030thetricontinental.org — News on China Archives - Tricontinental: Institute for Social Researchatlasinstitute.org — China's New Role in the World Health Organizationpunchbowl.news — Punchbowl News - Breaking news, US politics, Congress newsamp.dw.com — China's new rules give the West a new headache - DWyoutube.com — FII Outflows, Weak Exports And Real Policy Needs - YouTubeUpgrade to Premium The premium version of this podcast covers all 40 research articles and 3 news stories selected for the episode. Subscribe to the premium podcast. Generated by paperboy.fm.

    Mental Health, Health Equity, Work-Life Balance, Older Adults, Employee Well-Being

About

Good policy should show up in better lives. What's Well & Good in Policy follows the research testing that promise, from universal basic income and health insurance to mental health supports, living wages, schools, sustainability, and the politics of wellbeing. Subscribe for the premium version of this podcast: https://paperboy.fm/podcasts/public-policy-health-and-welfare/subscribe