Healthy happiness: effects of happiness on physical health and the consequences for preventive health care
Open accessAbstract
Is happiness good for your health? This common notion is tested in a synthetic analysis of 30 follow-up studies on happiness and longevity. It appears that happiness does not predict longevity in sick populations, but that it does predict longevity among healthy populations So, happiness does not cure illness but it does protect against becoming ill. The effect of happiness on longevity in healthy populations is remarkably strong. The size of the effect is comparable to that of smoking or not. If so, public health can also be promoted by policies that aim at greater happiness of a greater number. That can be done by strengthening individual life-abilities and by improving the livability of the social environment. Some policies are proposed. Both ways of promoting health through happiness require more research on conditions for happiness.
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Self-reported happiness is linked to longevity, personality traits and reduced mortality risk.
“while self-reported happiness is linked to longevity [152], personality traits [153] and reduced mortality risk [154].”
From Human-centred artificial intelligence for mobile health sensing: challenges and opportunities (2023) · cites this paper as [152]
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- Authors
- Veenhoven, R.
- Affiliations
- Erasmus University Rotterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Veenhoven, R.
- ORCID
- Veenhoven, R.
- Venue
- Journal of Happiness Studies
- Published
- 2007-02-28
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 449-469
- ISSN
- 1389-4978 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-7780
- OpenAlex
- W2123785231
- Cited by
- 771
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 83 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 52 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 52 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 42
- FWCI
- 21.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Happiness Studies (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- ZonMw
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Keywords
- happiness, longevity, physical health, preventive medicine, healthy population, illness, public health policy, social environment, well-being
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