Positive emotion and health: going beyond the negative.
This study examined the relationships between positive emotions and health. Two positive emotions were considered, hope and curiosity, in conjunction with 3 physician-diagnosed disease outcomes: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory tract infections. Medical data were abstracted over a 2-year period from 1,041 patient records from a multispecialty medical practice, and emotions were assessed through a mailed questionnaire. Across 3 disease outcomes, higher levels of hope were associated with a decreased likelihood of having or developing a disease. Higher levels of curiosity were also associated with decreased likelihood of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Results suggest that positive emotion may play a protective role in the development of disease.
Richman
Laura Smart
LS
Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA. lrichman@duke.edu
Kubzansky
Laura
L
Maselko
Joanna
J
Kawachi
Ichiro
I
Choo
Peter
P
Bauer
Mark
M
D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009341:Negativism; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology