Positive Affect and Health
Open accessAbstract
Negative affective styles such as anxiety, depression, and hostility have long been accepted as predictors of increased risk for illness and mortality. In contrast, positive affective styles have been relatively ignored in the health literature. Here we highlight consistent patterns of research associating trait positive affect (PA) and physical health. The evidence we review suggests an association of trait PA and lower morbidity and decreased symptoms and pain. PA is also associated with increased longevity among community-dwelling elderly. The association of PA and survival among those with serious illness is less clear and suggests the possibility that PA may be harmful in some situations. We conclude by raising conceptual and methodological reservations about this literature and suggesting directions for future research.
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Positive emotions alleviate the effects of negative emotions that are considered the root of anxiety and depressive disorders and promote resilience and positive mental health.
“They alleviate the effects of negative emotions that are considered the root of anxiety and depressive disorders and promote resilience and positive MH [70-72].”
From Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial (2023) · cites this paper as [70]
Positive emotions play an important role in people's well-being.
“Positive emotions play an important role in people’s well-being.”
From Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial (2023) · cites this paper as [70]
Higher levels of positive affect are linked to better psychological and physical health.
“higher levels of positive affect are linked to better psychological and physical health [70,72,76].”
From Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial (2023) · cites this paper as [70]
Positive emotion, when stimulated through skills-based interventions, is thought to influence health outcomes, both directly and through mediating factors including changing health behaviors, improving physiological functioning, and increasing resources that influence health.
“Positive emotion, when stimulated through skills-based interventions, is thought to influence health outcomes, both directly and through the mediating influence of factors including changing health behaviors, improving physiological functioning, and increasing resources that influence health [15,46].”
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- Authors
- Cohen, S., & Pressman, S. D.
- Affiliations
- Carnegie Mellon University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cohen, Sheldon
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2006-06
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 122-125
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2096303584
- Cited by
- 436
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 10.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- KiltHub Repository (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- KiltHub Repository
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- positive affect, trait positive affect, physical health, morbidity, pain, longevity, older adults, survival, illness, anxiety, depression, hostility, affective style
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