The Relationship Between Happiness and Health

The main objective of human existence is happiness. This perception has been supported by many researchers, including Aristotle, the Greek philosopher who observed that all human behavior seeks to attain happiness. From a psychological perspective, numerous studies suggest that happiness impacts physical health and well-being. Happiness has been explored as an object of philosophical analysis. However, in recent years, empirical investigations emerged within the health domain and other related spheres of knowledge. For this reason, the concept of positive psychology emerged, which is a field that concerns itself with what is appropriate for humans based on positive attributes. The domain of positive psychology advocates for mental health. Thus preventing mental disorders and improving the quality of life promotes happiness. The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of happiness on the improved physical health and well-being of adults. The study was conducted in order to contribute to the limited knowledge on the impacts of long-term happiness on the physical health of individuals. Although numerous studies support the relationship between happiness and health, Kushlev et al. (2020) imply that this research is limited due to the dearth of randomized controlled trials that need to assess the effects of happiness on improved health outcomes in healthy, nonclinical populations. 

Kushlev et al. (2020) conducted a randomized controlled trial investigating the health outcomes of a 12-week positive psychology intervention (PPI) that was aimed at increasing the subjective well-being of individuals through empirically proven activities and exercises. The study involved 155 community adults, recruited from Kelowna, British Columbia, and the PPI was administered through weekly in-person group meetings, and 100 individuals from Charlottesville, Virginia, who received the PPI through weekly online sessions (Kushlev et al., 2020) . To examine whether happiness correlates to health, the subjects completed PPI activities before treatment (pretest), during treatment, during treatment (weekly), three months after treatment (posttest), and six months after treatment (follow-up). 

This study's primary conclusion was that there is a direct correlation between happiness and health; thus, subjective well-being results in good physical health and vice versa. The study showed that happier people adopted health-promoting lifestyles by exercising regularly and avoiding drinking, smoking, and unhealthy diets. The study also observed that the PPI subjects reported fewer sick days, three months after they had completed their treatment (Kushlev et al., 2020) . Thus, the outcome of the study was that happy people felt healthier. The findings from the study contributed to the gap in literature that increasing the subjective well-being of individuals made them feel happier. 

Previously, psychology has been centered on understanding and offering solutions for stress, depression, and other mental illnesses that promote unhappiness. However, positive psychology is a field that seeks to investigate the causes and benefits of positive emotions, contributing to research that helps us understand the conditions and characteristics that lead to happiness (Kushlev et al., 2020) . This study provides evidence that happiness has a significant impact on physical health, leading to healthier, higher quality, and longer life. As a healthcare professional, I will use these findings to promote mental, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of adults of all ages behind the cycle of happiness and health. 

Although the study indicates, happiness protects individuals against the risk of illnesses. It is conducive to health and longevity, and the findings do not reveal if happiness can cure diseases or improve an individual's chances of surviving diseases among sick populations. Therefore, future research must elucidate whether promoting happiness can cure diseases to better inform public health agencies and policymakers on the subject. A longitudinal study should be conducted to indicate if there is a positive association between happiness and curing diseases among populations. 

References 

Kushlev, K., Heintzelman, S., Lutes, L., Wirtz, D., Kanippayoor, J., Leitner, D., & Diener, E. (2020). Does happiness improve health? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychological Science , 31 (7), 807-821. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620919673