Martín-María, N;
Miret, M;
Caballero, FF;
Rico-Uribe, LA;
Steptoe, A;
Chatterji, S;
Ayuso-Mateos, JL;
(2017)
The Impact of Subjective Well-Being on Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies in the General Population.
Psychosomatic Medicine
, 79
(5)
pp. 565-575.
10.1097/PSY.0000000000000444.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether subjective well-being is a protective factor for mortality in the general population, and to analyze the differential impact of evaluative, experienced, and eudaimonic well-being. METHODS: Systematic review of articles in the PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. Data on the studies' characteristics, quality, and the effects of variables were extracted. A meta-analysis was conducted on the studies included in the systematic review. RESULTS: A total of 62 articles that investigated mortality in general populations, involving 1 259 949 participants, were found, and added to those considered in a previous published review (n=14). The meta-analysis showed that subjective well-being was a protective factor for mortality [pooled HR= 0.920; 95% CI = (0.905, 0.934)]. Although the impact of subjective well-being on survival was significant in both men and women, it was slightly more protective in men. The three aspects of subjective well-being were significant protective factors for mortality. The high level of heterogeneity and the evidences of publication bias may reduce the generalizability of these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that subjective well-being is associated with a decreased risk of mortality. Longitudinal studies examining changing levels of well-being and their relationship to longevity would be required to establish a cause-effect relationship. Establishing such a causal relationship would strengthen the case for policy interventions to improve the population subjective well-being in order to produce longevity gains combined with optimizing quality of life.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Impact of Subjective Well-Being on Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies in the General Population |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000444 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000444 |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2016 by the American Psychosomatic Society. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1536393 |
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