The theory of well-being in developmental research on the family: The well-being of parents in the empty nest stage

Over the last few years the value of the holistic approach to studies on the development and functioning of the human being in various stages of life, particularly adulthood, has been more frequently emphasised. At the same time there is also a requirement of conducting research not so much from the perspective of disorders, limitations and regress but from the perspective of achievements, advances and fulfilling a positive developmental programme. This approach is particularly important in relation to a person in mid or late adulthood. It seems that the theory of well-being - the theory of subjective well-being described on three multidimensional dimensions of the personality, emotions and society - meets the requirement of taking a comprehensive and positive view of the individual. Seeing that the sense of well-being may be analysed in reference to various areas of life - professional career, finance, family, it also becomes useful to describe the relations of the parents with their siblings by way of diagnosis of well-being components concerning the performed parental role.