STATE OF HAPPINESS INSTITUTE
The State of Happiness Institute is a research-led initiative dedicated to understanding, measuring, and improving human happiness.
Founded by Mark Filippelli, together with Vanessa Challinor of Mind Matters Psychooly, the Institute brings together insights from psychology, behavioural science, neuroscience, philosophy, and lived experience to explore a simple but ambitious question: can happiness be measured in a meaningful way, and can it be intentionally improved?
The Institute’s work focuses on translating complex research into practical frameworks that support real-world change. Its initiatives span research development, public education, and applied tools designed to improve wellbeing, resilience, and quality of life at both individual and community levels.
At its core, the Institute holds a clear belief: happiness is not a vague or abstract emotion, but a measurable state shaped by daily habits, environment, connection, and meaning.
State of Happiness Index Test (S.H.I.T)
The State of Happiness Index Test is a research-informed assessment developed by the State of Happiness Institute to measure wellbeing across the key domains that shape everyday life.
Moving beyond simple mood tracking, the SHI Test provides a structured snapshot of how a person is functioning emotionally, physically, socially, and mentally. It captures both strengths and areas of depletion, offering a clear picture of overall wellbeing at a given point in time.
Rather than assigning labels, the SHI Test is designed to support awareness, reflection, and change. Results place individuals within wellbeing zones, helping identify where small, intentional shifts can meaningfully improve happiness, energy, and resilience. The test functions both as a personal insight tool and as a broader research instrument, forming the foundation for ongoing work into how happiness can be strengthened over time.
A Shared View of Happiness
The State of Happiness Index Test exists to make happiness measurable and accessible, translating the best of ancient wisdom and modern science into something simple, practical, and human.
While much of the wellness conversation focuses on self-care and protecting personal energy, the Institute is equally interested in shared care. Research consistently shows that acts of kindness, generosity, and contribution activate the brain’s reward systems more powerfully than receiving care alone. Encouragement, connection, and giving are not secondary to wellbeing, they are central to it.
For this reason, the SHI Test looks beyond individual scores. Its broader aim is to create a ripple effect of connection, compassion, and contribution, measurable improvements not only in personal happiness, but in the health of communities.
By 2028, the Institute aims to help one million people measure and improve their happiness by at least ten points, demonstrating that lasting joy is not built in isolation, but through generosity and shared human experience. Giving, encouraging, and caring are not soft skills, they are foundational drivers of human health, purpose, and happiness.