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This research aims to explore perceptions of subjective well-being (SWB) in public relations (PR) practitioners, focusing on dimensions of job satisfaction, networking, relationships and work–life balance, while addressing the under-researched area of gender and age – related to stages of life – disparities in SWB within the PR industry.

Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, this study utilised a survey, followed by semi-structured interviews to investigate SWB among PR professionals in Portugal, considering gender and stages of life differences.

Using a gendered and stages of life lens, this study found nuanced perceptions of SWB among Portuguese PR professionals. Older women showed higher emotional well-being but lower work evaluations than men, while young professionals exhibited less gender disparities in SWB. Men reported greater job satisfaction, emphasising passion, while women faced challenges like work overload and valued recognition. Gender differences were seen in networking, with men favouring teamwork and women valuing friendships for career advancement. Work–life balance issues, especially among older women, related to mental health.

This study contributes to filling the research gap regarding SWB in the PR industry, particularly in Portugal, offering insights into gender and stages of life dynamics that influence SWB perceptions, thereby informing strategies for enhancing well-being and productivity in PR workplaces.

This chapter focusses on the contribution of health professionals' communication competences to patients. We propose a model of communication to be used in the therapeutic relationship, supported by a literature review. The methodology is qualitative. Four focus groups (FGs) composed of Portuguese health professionals (N = 25), such as medical doctors, nurses and professors in health fields, were conducted during 2017 and 2018. All the participants of FGs validated a three-factor aggregated and interdependent model, which is composed of assertiveness, clear language and positivity (ACP model). The factors reinforce the therapeutic relationship and improve health literacy, thus reinforcing the patient's health and well-being. The argument is that health is wealth, so if the communication can improve health, then this has positive social implications. The study is a response to the lack of consensus in the literature on what specific and operative communication competences the health professional should perform in clinical encounters with the patients, and how these competences can improve, in the final instance, their health and well-being.