| dataset_desc |
“Wellbeing and Longevity” is a scientific factshee “Wellbeing and Longevity” is a scientific factsheet summarizing decades of research showing that subjective wellbeing is a powerful predictor of health, disease outcomes, and lifespan. The document explains how positive emotions, life satisfaction, and overall psychological wellbeing influence mortality, immune function, recovery from illness, and healthy aging across the lifespan.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
The central message is clear:
Wellbeing doesn’t just make life better—it measurably extends life.
High subjective wellbeing is estimated to add 4 to 10 years of life expectancy.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
Key Findings
1. Wellbeing and Longevity
Subjective wellbeing strongly predicts lower mortality—even after accounting for physical health.
Research shows:
High wellbeing is associated with a 19% reduction in all-cause mortality in healthy populations.
A one standard deviation increase in positive affect reduces mortality risk by 9%; for life satisfaction, the reduction is 13%.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
Positive wellbeing is more protective than negative affect is harmful. Negative emotions alone do not predict mortality once positive emotions are accounted for.
Overall, happier people live significantly longer, regardless of demographic or health status.
2. Life Expectancy and Mortality Trends
The factsheet provides UK population data:
Life expectancy: 78.7 years (men) and 82.6 years (women).
Age-standardized mortality: 655 per 100,000 (men) and 467 per 100,000 (women).
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
These figures establish the baseline context for linking subjective wellbeing to objective health outcomes.
3. Wellbeing as a Health Protector
Wellbeing influences physical health through psychological, behavioral, and biological pathways:
Immune Function
Low wellbeing (stress, anxiety, depression) weakens immunity.
High emotional wellbeing improves recovery and lower susceptibility to illness.
For example:
People with high baseline wellbeing were 1.14 times more likely to recover and survive physical illness.
Positive emotions increase resistance to infections, including the common cold.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
Positive emotions also reduce the tendency to misinterpret minor physical sensations as symptoms.
4. Wellbeing, Illness, and Recovery
Wellbeing plays a measurable role during disease:
Higher wellbeing reduces cardiovascular mortality by 29% in healthy adults.
In clinical populations, wellbeing reduces mortality by 23% in renal failure and 24% in HIV patients.
Stress significantly slows wound healing; hostile marital interactions delay recovery further.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
Positive emotions can reverse the physiological stress response, improving cardiovascular recovery and reducing harmful inflammation.
5. Wellbeing, Aging, and Survival in Older Adults
Wellbeing remains protective throughout life—and becomes critical in older age:
A one-unit increase in positive affect reduces mortality by 18% in people aged 65+.
For people aged 75+, mortality is 19% among those with high wellbeing but 30% among those with low wellbeing.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
Over nine years of follow-up, individuals reporting the greatest “enjoyment of life” had three times lower risk of death compared with those reporting the least.
WELLBEING AND LONGEVITY
Wellbeing predicts stronger immunity in older adults, even when accounting for physical health, medication, and cognitive status.
Overall Conclusion
The factsheet provides strong evidence that subjective wellbeing—how we feel about our lives—has direct, measurable effects on lifespan, disease resistance, immune health, and aging.
The science shows:
Positive emotions protect health.
Enjoyment of life predicts survival.
Stress and negativity accelerate decline.
Supporting wellbeing is a public health necessity, not a luxury.
In short:
Wellbeing is a biological advantage.
People who feel better… live longer.... |