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| Mortality |
Outcomes associated with positive mental health
Physical health
Mortality
The influence of positive affect on mortality has been widely asserted, with one major study showing an increase in longevity of 7.5 years, (Danner et al 2001; Levy et al 2002), but it is most consistent for older people living in the community. This is not the case for residents of institutions; in these circumstances, low positive affect ‘may reflect a fighting spirit in a situation of lost control’ and so be more protective (Pressman and Cohen 2005). This is an important finding: happiness may be more adaptive in some circumstances than in others (Lyubomirsky et al 2005).
Physical health
Mortality
The influence of positive affect on mortality has been widely asserted, with one major study showing an increase in longevity of 7.5 years, (Danner et al 2001; Levy et al 2002), but it is most consistent for older people living in the community. This is not the case for residents of institutions; in these circumstances, low positive affect ‘may reflect a fighting spirit in a situation of lost control’ and so be more protective (Pressman and Cohen 2005). This is an important finding: happiness may be more adaptive in some circumstances than in others (Lyubomirsky et al 2005).
