The DOI matches its Crossref record; 244 of the 244 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The heart's content: The association between positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health.
Abstract
This review investigates the association between positive psychological well-being (PPWB) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We also consider the mechanisms by which PPWB may be linked with CVD, focusing on the health behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, sleep quality and quantity, and food consumption) and biological functions (e.g., cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic processes) that are most relevant for cardiovascular health. Because PPWB is a broad concept, not all aspects of PPWB may be associated with cardiovascular health. Thus, we distinguish between eudaimonic well-being, hedonic well-being, optimism, and other measures of well-being when reviewing the literature. Findings suggest that PPWB protects consistently against CVD, independently of traditional risk factors and ill-being. Specifically, optimism is most robustly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. In general, PPWB is also positively associated with restorative health behaviors and biological function and inversely associated with deteriorative health behaviors and biological function. Cardiovascular health is more consistently associated with optimism and hedonic well-being than with eudaimonic well-being, although this could be due in part to more limited evidence being available concerning eudaimonic well-being. Some similarities were also evident across different measures of PPWB, which is likely due to measurement overlap. A theoretical context for this research is provided, and suggestions for future research are given, including the need for additional prospective investigations and research that includes multiple constructs of psychological well-being and ill-being.
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“Positive psychological factors can promote healthier cardiovascular function via either health-promoting effects on biological processes such as inflammation or buffering effects whereby reactivity to stressful experiences is mitigated or less potent, although study findings are not fully consistent. 53,125”
From Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2021) · cites this paper as [53]
In the citing paper
“In addition, increased vagal control may have benefits for healthy individuals, as increases in vagal activity promote relaxation and restoration of the organism, thus increasing general well-being and resilience87–90.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [88]
In the citing paper
“Although some pathways are shared across negative and positive psychological factors, 11,53,77,94,95 specific manifestations of psychological health may also have distinct biobehavioral effects. 96”
From Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2021) · cites this paper as [53]
In the citing paper
“Regarding direct effects of PP on activity, the established benefits of PP on mood, resilience, well-being, and optimism (pathway B1) [41, 54, 124, 125] are associated with increased physical activity (pathway B2) [48, 88, 123, 131, 132].”
From Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale, Theoretical Model, and Intervention Development (2015) · cites this paper as [131]
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Cited by
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Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing
Steptoe, A., Deaton, A., & Stone, A. A. (2014) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61489-0 · Cited by 2,538
Stress and Cardiovascular Disease: An Update on Current Knowledge
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A multidimensional approach to measuring well-being in students: Application of the PERMA framework
Kern, M. L., Waters, L. E., Adler, A., & White, M. A. (2015) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.936962 · Cited by 743
Metadata
- Authors
- Boehm, J. K., & Kubzansky, L. D.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2012-07
- Volume
- 138
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 655-691
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W1992124339
- Semantic Scholar
- 9a31baf540b364acfdb858c5723b82008197842c
- Cited by
- 909
- References
- 244
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 81 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 82 · 2020: 121 · 2019: 70 · 2018: 65 · 2017: 54 · 2016: 61 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 64.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Keywords
- positive psychological well-being, cardiovascular disease, optimism, eudaimonic well-being, hedonic well-being, health behavior, inflammation, metabolism, cardiovascular risk factors, sleep quality, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, dietary intake
- MeSH terms
- Attitude, Cardiovascular Diseases, Female, Happiness, Humans, Inflammation, Male, Mental Health, Models, Theoretical, Personal Satisfaction, Psychological Theory, Risk Factors, Sleep, Stress, Psychological, Health Behavior, Personal Autonomy, Sense of Coherence
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