The DOI matches its Crossref record; 49 of the 49 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Happiness and Health
Abstract
Research into the relationship between happiness and health is developing rapidly, exploring the possibility that impaired happiness is not only a consequence of ill-health but also a potential contributor to disease risk. Happiness encompasses several constructs, including affective well-being (feelings of joy and pleasure), eudaimonic well-being (sense of meaning and purpose in life), and evaluative well-being (life satisfaction). Happiness is generally associated with reduced mortality in prospective observational studies, albeit with several discrepant results. Confounding and reverse causation are major concerns. Associations with morbidity and disease prognosis have also been identified for a limited range of health conditions. The mechanisms potentially linking happiness with health include lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and dietary choice, and biological processes, involving neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and metabolic pathways. Interventions have yet to demonstrate substantial, sustained improvements in subjective well-being or direct impact on physical health outcomes. Nevertheless, this field shows great potential, with the promise of establishing a favorable effect on population health.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Other work has found that positive affect protects against disease progression in the context of diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions. 77,78”
From Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2021) · cites this paper as [77]
In the citing paper
“Happy individuals tend to sleep better, exercise more, eat better, and not smoke. 77”
From Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2021) · cites this paper as [77]
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 [77]
Citations
Cites
1 retracted
Gotink, R. A., Chu, P., Busschbach, J. J. V., Benson, H., Fricchione, G. L., & Hunink, M. G. M. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124344 · Cited by 539
RetractedThe satisfaction with life scale
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13 · Cited by 31,768
On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141 · Cited by 11,567
The structure of psychological well-being revisited.
Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. M. (1995) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.69.4.719 · Cited by 10,285
The role of inflammation in depression: from evolutionary imperative to modern treatment target
Miller, A. H., & Raison, C. L. (2016) · Nature Reviews Immunology · doi:10.1038/nri.2015.5 · Cited by 3,942
High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being
Kahneman, D., & Deaton, A. (2010) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1011492107 · Cited by 3,162 · cited 1×
“For example, income and socioeconomic resources are strongly linked with evaluative well-being, but less so with affective well-being (60, 61).”
Background(2000) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511803475 · Cited by 2,987
Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.20593 · Cited by 2,955 · cited 1×
“These include programs involving mindfulness, counting one’s blessings, focusing on signature strengths, positive psychotherapy, savoring positive experiences, and other procedures (18, 122).”
BackgroundPositive Emotions Trigger Upward Spirals Toward Emotional Well-Being
Fredrickson, B. L., & Joiner, T. (2002) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00431 · Cited by 2,655
Does positive affect influence health?
Pressman, S. D., & Cohen, S. (2005) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925 · Cited by 2,087
Research works printed but not linked: 102
- 10.1073/pnas.0605053103 · DOI · Paper page
- Bartoli F, 2013, Stroke Res. Treat., 2013, 862978
- 10.1002/gps.4611 · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0b013e318189afcc · DOI
- 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.03.009 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.03.018 · DOI
- 10.1037/a0023124 · DOI
- 10.1093/eurheartj/ehr203 · DOI
- 10.1177/0956797615581491 · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181a5a7c0 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.10.002 · DOI
- 10.1093/aje/kwq249 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.2307/j.ctvc77dgq · DOI
- 10.1097/01.psy.0000245867.92364.3c · DOI
- 10.1037/a0016777 · DOI
- Davies W, 2015, The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold Us Well-Being
- 10.1002/9781444305159 · DOI
- Diener E, 2018, Handbook of Well-Being
- Dolan P, 2014, Happiness by Design: Change What You Do, Not How You Think
- 10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.05.121 · DOI · Paper page
- Ehrenreich B, 2009, Bright-Sided. How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
- 10.1007/s40520-013-0122-x · DOI
- 10.1093/heapro/dar074 · DOI
- 10.1111/soc4.12236 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.01.032 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.04.004 · DOI
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199549054.001.0001 · DOI
- 10.1007/s12529-009-9032-x · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1093/abm/kax012 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2011.00460.x · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31828c3fa4 · DOI
- Helliwell J, 2018, World Happiness Report 2018
- 10.4088/JCP.12m08022 · DOI
- 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.113.000158 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.020 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.07.002 · DOI
- 10.1126/science.1129688 · DOI
- 10.1093/aje/kww182 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2145 · DOI
- 10.1007/s12160-016-9856-y · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.01.013 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1186/1471-2458-12-54 · DOI
- 10.1093/aje/152.10.983 · DOI
- 10.1007/s10902-008-9127-0 · DOI
- 10.1126/science.1256392 · DOI
- 10.1001/archpsyc.64.12.1393 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1186/1471-2458-11-579 · DOI
- 10.1037/hea0000228 · DOI
- 10.1037/emo0000231 · DOI
- Lawlor DA, 2016, Int. J. Epidemiol., 45, 1866, 10.1093/ije/dyw127 · DOI · Paper page
- Layard R, 2011, Happiness: Lessons from a New Science
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0051593 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.11.198 · DOI · Paper page
- Lyubomirsky S, 2010, The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want
- 10.1080/17439760.2016.1221122 · DOI
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01040 · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000444 · DOI
- 10.1037/a0022010 · DOI
- 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.111195 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.004 · DOI
- 10.1093/nutrit/nuy009 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1037/ccp0000188 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303260 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1136/bmj.a118 · DOI
- 10.1037/0882-7974.20.2.272 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1007/s12160-015-9764-6 · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000279 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000480 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.smrv.2016.07.006 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.amepre.2010.07.015 · DOI
- 10.1097/00006842-200103000-00003 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2004.08.004 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.04.009 · DOI
- 10.1007/s12160-009-9111-x · DOI
- 10.3233/JAD-160862 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1037/0022-3514.69.4.719 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1375/twin.14.3.249 · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000546 · DOI
- Schwartz JE, 1994, Ann. Behav. Med., 16, 210, 10.1093/abm/16.3.210 · DOI
- 10.1080/13607863.2014.938602 · DOI
- 10.1503/cmaj.131155 · DOI
- 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61489-0 · DOI
- 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31824f82c8 · DOI
- Steptoe A, Lassale C. 2018. Happiness at older ages. See Ref. 26, pp. 129–49 · DOI
- 10.1093/aje/kwm252 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2005.08.016 · DOI
- 10.1073/pnas.1110892108 · DOI
- 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.1028 · DOI
- 10.1073/pnas.0409174102 · DOI · Paper page
- Stiglitz J, 2009, Report by the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress
- Stone AA, 2013, Subjective Well-Being: Measuring Happiness, Suffering, and Other Dimensions of Experience
- 10.1037/a0019432 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/j.archger.2011.06.030 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000175 · DOI
- 10.1093/aje/kws199 · DOI
- 10.1037/a0023839 · DOI
- 10.1037/a0031196 · DOI
- 10.1037/a0016767 · DOI
- 10.1177/0956797617713309 · DOI
- 10.1037/emo0000200 · DOI
- 10.1136/bmj.i6267 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.09.013 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Levine, G. N., Cohen, B. E., Commodore-Mensah, Y., Fleury, J., Huffman, J. C., Khalid, U., Labarthe, D. R., Lavretsky, H., Michos, E. D., Spatz, E. S., et al. (2021) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0000000000000947 · Cited by 865
Campbell, O., Bann, D., & Patalay, P. (2020) · doi:10.1101/2020.06.12.20129312 · Cited by 484
Steptoe, A., & Fancourt, D. (2019) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1814723116 · Cited by 254
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Steptoe, A.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Steptoe, Andrew
- ORCID
- Steptoe, Andrew
- Venue
- Annual Review of Public Health
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2019-04-01
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 339-359
- ISSN
- 0163-7525 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2093
- OpenAlex
- W2908143860
- Cited by
- 474
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 50 · 2025: 70 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 86 · 2022: 75 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 16
- FWCI
- 7.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- 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, subjective well-being, emotional well-being, eudaimonic well-being, life satisfaction, mortality, morbidity, disease risk, reverse causality, confounding, physical activity, diet, neuroendocrine pathways, inflammation, metabolic pathways, intervention
- MeSH terms
- Diet, Female, Happiness, Health Status, Humans, Life Style, Male, Personal Satisfaction, Prospective Studies, Quality of Life, Health Behavior
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
How to cite
Cite CoChat for the checks on this page, and the paper for its own findings.
- This page
- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Happiness and Health. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044150
- The paper
- Steptoe, A. (2019). Happiness and Health. Annual Review of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044150
