Happiness can begin to “translate into measurable health benefits”, a new study has demonstrated.
Researchers have found that increased happiness is associated with a decreased mortality risk from non-communicable diseases.
Lead author Professor Iulia Iuga said: “We show that subjective wellbeing, or happiness, appears to function as a population health asset only once a minimum threshold of approximately 2.7 on the life ladder scale is surpassed.
“Above this tipping point, increased happiness is associated with a decrease in non-communicable diseases mortality.”
- Happiness hacks: 8 science-approved ways to be happier
- Money is not the key to happiness, study reveals
Professor Iuga added: “The life ladder can be imagined as a simple zero to 10 happiness ruler, where zero means the worst possible life and 10 means the best possible life. People imagine where they currently stand on that ladder.”
During the trial, the team of researchers looked at health data from 123 countries between 2006 and 2021.
People or countries scoring 2.7 or less are generally considered unhappy or struggling, experts have said.
Professor Iuga said: “An adjective that fits this level could be barely coping. Nevertheless, already at this point, improvements in happiness begin to translate into measurable health benefits.”
According to the findings, each 1% increase in subjective wellbeing is associated with an estimated 0.43% decrease in that country’s 30-to-70-year non-communicable diseases mortality rate.
Happiness improvements only translated into health benefits when it exceeded the 2.7-point threshold, the study has reported.
The results have revealed that the countries that scored higher than 2.7 were likely to have stronger social safety nets, higher per person health spending and more stable governance compared to the countries falling below.
A score of 5.45 was the average life ladder score, while a score of 2.18 was the minimum and 7.97 highest.
- Eating breakfast later linked to increased mortality risk in older adults
- Exercise lowering mortality risk is misleading
Experts have said countries can increase their scores by improving the environment through stricter air-quality standards, promoting healthy living by expanding obesity prevention and increasing their per capita health spending.
Professor Iuga concluded: “Identifying this tipping point could provide more accurate evidence for health policy. Happiness is not just a personal feeling but also a measurable public health resource.”
Read more in Frontiers in Medicine.
