A new study conducted at University College in London and published in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine reviewed prospective, observational and cohort studies of the association between positive well-being and mortality using meta-analytic methods. Recent years have witnessed increased interest in the relationship between positive psychological well-being and physical health.
There were 35 studies investigating mortality in initially healthy populations and 35 studies of disease populations. The meta-analyses showed that positive psychological well-being was associated with reduced mortality in both the healthy population and the disease population. Both positive affect (e.g., emotional well-being, positive mood, joy, happiness, vigor, energy) and positive trait-like dispositions (e.g., life satisfaction, hopefulness, optimism, sense of humor) were associated with reduced mortality in healthy population studies. Positive psychological well-being was significantly associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality in healthy population studies, and with reduced death rates in patients with renal failure and with human immunodeficiency virus-infection.
This study is one additional confirmation of the strong connection between mind and body. Psychological well-being must not be overlooked when treating physical illnesses.
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