Cited by 512Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionStress Responses and CortisolTryptophan and brain disorders

A functional genomic perspective on human well-being

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Fredrickson, Barbara L., Grewen, Karen M., Coffey, Kimberly A., Algoe, Sara B., Firestine, Ann M., Arevalo, Jesusa M. G., Ma, Jeffrey, Cole, Steven W.·2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

To identify molecular mechanisms underlying the prospective health advantages associated with psychological well-being, we analyzed leukocyte basal gene expression profiles in 80 healthy adults who were assessed for hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, as well as potentially confounded negative psychological and behavioral factors. Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being showed similar affective correlates but highly divergent transcriptome profiles. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from people with high levels of hedonic well-being showed up-regulated expression of a stress-related conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) involving increased expression of proinflammatory genes and decreased expression of genes involved in antibody synthesis and type I IFN response. In contrast, high levels of eudaimonic well-being were associated with CTRA down-regulation. Promoter-based bioinformatics implicated distinct patterns of transcription factor activity in structuring the observed differences in gene expression associated with eudaimonic well-being (reduced NF-κB and AP-1 signaling and increased IRF and STAT signaling). Transcript origin analysis identified monocytes, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and B lymphocytes as primary cellular mediators of these dynamics. The finding that hedonic and eudaimonic well-being engage distinct gene regulatory programs despite their similar effects on total well-being and depressive symptoms implies that the human genome may be more sensitive to qualitative variations in well-being than are our conscious affective experiences.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.1305419110

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  • Activation of the CTRA by modern-day social, symbolic, anticipated, and imagined threats leads to increased risk for several inflammation-related conditions, including depression.

    “The CTRA can also be activated by modernday social, symbolic, anticipated, and imagined threats, however, leading to increased risk for several inflammation-related conditions, including depression”

    From From stress to inflammation and major depressive disorder: A social signal transduction theory of depression. (2014) · cites this paper as Fredrickson et al., 2013

    The paper’s introductory discussion says that chronic CTRA activation by social or symbolic threats in contemporary society may promote several inflammation-mediated diseases. It does not identify anticipated or imagined threats, or depression, as part of that claim; it also frames the disease risk as a possibility rather than an established consequence. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Hedonic and eudemonic well-being can be separated in that they seem to correlate with different neurobiological systems.

    “they can also be separated in that they seem to correlate with different neurobiological systems (Fredrickson et al., 2013).”

    From Blended care in the treatment of subthreshold symptoms of depression and psychosis in emerging adults: A randomised controlled trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Daily-Life (ACT-DL) (2020) · cites this paper as Fredrickson et al., 2013

    The Discussion reports markedly divergent gene-transcription correlates for hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in human immune cells. That supports a distinction in biological correlates, but the paper does not establish that the two forms of well-being correlate with different neurobiological systems. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • A small study analyzed leukocyte basal gene expression profiles and reported distinct gene expression profiles for hedonic versus eudaimonic wellbeing.

    “Finally, a small study analyzed leukocyte basal gene expression profiles and reported distinct gene expression profiles for hedonic (positive affect) versus eudaimonic (striving, purpose) wellbeing (Fredrickson et al. 2013)”
  • A study that examined gene transcriptional profiles found that eudaimonic well-being (an overarching umbrella term that includes purpose) was associated with enhanced expression of antiviral response genes and reduced expression of proinflammatory genes.

    “Additionally, a study that examined gene transcriptional profiles found that eudaimonic well-being (an overarching umbrella term that includes purpose) was associated with enhanced expression of antiviral response genes and reduced expression of proinflammatory genes (31).”

    From Purpose in life and use of preventive health care services (2014) · cites this paper as [31]

  • High levels of eudaimonic well-being are associated with significantly lower levels of CTRA-related gene expression.

    “Fredrickson and colleagues found that high levels of eudaimonic well-being were associated with significantly lower levels of CTRA-related gene expression (i.e., a more favorable, or less threatened, molecular profile) [54].”

    From Human Social Genomics (2014) · cites this paper as [54]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Archontaki D, Lewis GJ, Bates TC (2013) Genetic influences on psychological well- being: A nationally representative twin study. J Pers 81(2):221-230.
  2. King LA, Hicks JA (2012) Positive affect and meaning in life: The intersection of he- donism and eudaimonia. The Human Quest for Meaning, ed Wong PT (Routledge, New York), pp 125-142.

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Authors
Fredrickson, B. L., Grewen, K. M., Coffey, K. A., Algoe, S. B., Firestine, A. M., Arevalo, J. M. G., Ma, J., & Cole, S. W.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095; and
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2013-07-29
Volume
110
Issue
33
Pages
13684-13689
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2155399165
Cited by
512
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 76 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 7
FWCI
63.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (P30AG107265, P30AG017265)
  • NIH Office of the Director (R01NR012899)
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA116778)
  • National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR012899)
  • Common Fund
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Keywords
psychological well-being, hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, leukocyte gene expression, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, conserved transcriptional response to adversity, pro-inflammatory genes, type I interferon response, NF-κB signaling, AP-1 signaling, transcription factor activity, monocytes, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, B cells, depressive symptoms, stress response
MeSH terms
Adult, Antibodies, Happiness, Humans, Interferon Type I, Leukocytes, Mononuclear, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, North Carolina, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Transcription Factors, Genome, Human, NF-kappa B, Transcription Factor AP-1, Computational Biology, Gene Regulatory Networks, Pleasure, Transcriptome

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