Conversely, negative ones make you sick

Mar 4, 2009 13:27 GMT  ·  By
Happiness comes in the most unexpected packages, so people really need to start enjoying it
   Happiness comes in the most unexpected packages, so people really need to start enjoying it

Recent scientific studies prove what ancient people have known from, well, Antiquity, and namely that individuals who are always in a good mood and remain positive throughout the day experience less diseases and less sickness than those who are always gloomy. Researchers from the University of Kansas (UK) say that staying optimist is precisely what people in impoverished countries need. It may seem harsh, but the cost of medical care in some of the poorest regions of the globe is oftentimes prohibitive for most of the population. That's why those persons resort to alternative forms of medicine, which may sometimes prove to do more harm than good.

“We've known for a while now that emotions play a critical role in physical health. But until recently, most of this research was conducted only in industrialized countries. So we couldn't know whether feelings like happiness or sadness matter to the health of people who have more pressing concerns – like getting enough to eat or finding shelter. But now we do,” Gallup senior research associate Sarah Pressman, who is also a KU assistant professor of psychology, says.

Today, at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, which takes place in Chicago, the new paper, a result of a collaboration between KU and the Gallup organization, will be presented to members of the international scientific community. Pressman points out that data collected from the Gallup World Poll has been used for the new research, and that the sample of adults that have been questioned contains more than 150,000 individuals, from over 140 countries.

During the survey, the participants were asked to describe the emotions they experienced most often. Among the response options, researchers included happiness, sadness, worrying, excitement and other similar terms. Then, the people were required to share their medical conditions, as well as other background socio-economic data. The thing that the investigators really wanted to know about each of the individuals was if their basic necessities, such as having where to live and what to eat every day, were met.

The amazing conclusion of the paper shows that people who remain optimistic tend to be in better health than others, even if they are deprived of some of life's basic commodities. This certifies beyond the shadow of a doubt that good mood and happy thoughts are, indeed, linked to a person's overall state of health, even though experts couldn't say exactly how that is accomplished. There's got to be more to it than the simple action of hormones, they believe.