Health benefits: Meta-analytically determining the impact of well-being on objective health outcomes

Abstract

This research synthesis integrates findings from 150 experimental, ambulatory and longitudinal studies that tested the impact of well-being on objective health outcomes. Results demonstrated that well-being positively impacts health outcomes (r=0.14). Well-being was found to be positively related to short-term health outcomes (r=0.15), long-term health outcomes (r=0.11), and disease or symptom control (r=0.13). Results from the experimental studies demonstrated that inductions of well-being lead to healthy functioning, and inductions of ill-being lead to compromised health at similar magnitudes. Thus, the effect of subjective well-being on health is not solely due to ill-being having a detrimental impact on health, but also to well-being having a salutary impact on health. Additionally, the impact of well-being on improving health was stronger for immune system response and pain tolerance, whereas well-being was not significantly related to increases in cardiovascular and physiological reactivity. These findings point to potential biological pathways, such that well-being can directly bolster immune functioning and buffer the impact of stress.