It seems that people who describe themselves as happy are less likely to catch a cold than those who say they are unhappy. Even when happy people succumb, they have fewer symptoms. What is going on?
• Firstly let’s agree that when we talk about “happiness” we are not referring to transient, hedonistic pleasure, but a general feeling of well-being and satisfaction with life. This varies between individuals and is what relates in some way to a propensity to catch colds and indeed other illnesses.
We know there is a correlation, so broadly speaking there are three possibilities: being happy makes you more healthy; being well (more often) contributes to feeling happier; other factors affect mood and overall health.
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A study of people after flu vaccinations showed happier folk generated more antibodies. Another study showed that the smiles on photographs of novice nuns were good predictors of their longevity – happier ones living longer. Both of these suggest being happy makes you healthier. We could put forward a mechanism by which happy people socialise more, are exposed to a wider range of pathogens (residing in other people) and so strengthen their immune systems.
Recently reported in 91av is a link between infection and mood or depression (15 January 2011, p 30). This suggests happiness could be the result of not being sick rather than a cause.
The , spearheaded by Martin Seligman, who made his name by studying depression, makes the economic case for paying attention to well-being. After all, if increasing happiness means fewer illnesses, less time off work, less pressure on medical resources and so on, that has to be good. And if it’s the other way round – no harm done.
Pauline Grant, Business Psychologist, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, UK