Mental health: Happy people are healthier, study finds

Created: 05/10/2022 07:54

By: Natalie Hull Drawbar

Everyone wishes for contentment and happiness in life.

Study results show that a feeling of happiness is also healthy for the body.

shows that healthy people are not only happier, but also healthier

.

On average, happy people are ill less often and are also less likely to miss work.

Certain qualities and a positive lifestyle can increase happiness and even help against depression and anxiety.

Happiness affects the psyche and the body

According to the study, happy people are more likely to be physically healthy.

(Iconic image) © Pau Novell/Imago

There are many reasons why a person is happy: family, partnership, job, possessions or even physical and mental fitness.

Happiness is so important in Denmark that the Danes even live by it according to their own formula.

For example, having children may be a special blessing for many people, while having children is not a means of happiness for others.

As part of the US study at the Department of Psychology at Georgetown University, Dr.

Kostadin Kushlev studied 155 adults of different sexes and occupations, aged 25 to 75, over a period of six months with other scientists from the University of Virginia and the University of British Columbia.

The aim was to find out how a better subjective well-being of the subjects affected their physical health - without them receiving any form of medical treatment for it.

For the study, the people were randomly assigned to either a first group with twelve weeks of psychological therapy or the control group.

Mental health: According to the study, happy people are more likely to be physically healthy

The study program, called “Enduring Happiness and Continued Self-Enhancement” (ENHANCE), consisted of weekly modules that could either be led by a doctor or carried out individually by the test subjects themselves via a specific online platform.

Each module contained an hour-long task of information and practice, including guided meditation.

"All activities were evidence-based tools to increase subjective well-being," explains Dr.

Kushlev in the journal

.

In the first three weeks of the program, the test subjects in the first group were to deal with their personal values, strengths and goals.

For the next five weeks, they focused on mindfulness and regulation of their emotions and negative thought patterns.

During the final four weeks of the program, subjects engaged with their social selves and learned techniques that promoted gratitude and social interaction.

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Study shows: Feeling happy also leads to more physical well-being

At the end of the program, the participants received individual evaluations and recommendations as to which modules would improve their happiness most sustainably.

Three months after the study ended, the researchers re-examined the participants to assess their well-being and health.

These not only reported an increasing subjective well-being.

Due to illness, they also failed less than the control group with the less fortunate subjects.

"Although previous studies have shown that happier people tend to have better cardiovascular health and immune systems than their less-happier peers, our research stands as one of the first randomized controlled trials to suggest that increasing mental well-being is self-determining from general healthy adults can have physical health benefits,” reports Dr.

Kushlev in conclusion.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.