Psychological well-being and ill-being: do they have distinct or mirrored biological correlates?
BACKGROUND
Increasingly, researchers attend to both positive and negative aspects of mental health. Such distinctions call for clarification of whether psychological well-being and ill-being comprise opposite ends of a bipolar continuum, or are best construed as separate, independent dimensions of mental health. Biology can help resolve this query--bipolarity predicts 'mirrored' biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being correlate similarly with biomarkers, but show opposite directional signs), whereas independence predicts 'distinct' biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being have different biological signatures).


METHODS
Multiple aspects of psychological well-being (eudaimonic, hedonic) and ill-being (depression, anxiety, anger) were assessed in a sample of aging women (n = 135, mean age = 74) on whom diverse neuroendocrine (salivary cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, DHEA-S) and cardiovascular factors (weight, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, total/HDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin) were also measured.


RESULTS
Measures of psychological well-being and ill-being were significantly linked with numerous biomarkers, with some associations being more strongly evident for respondents aged 75+. Outcomes for seven biomarkers supported the distinct hypothesis, while findings for only two biomarkers supported the mirrored hypothesis.


CONCLUSIONS
This research adds to the growing literature on how psychological well-being and mental maladjustment are instantiated in biology. Population-based inquiries and challenge studies constitute important future directions.
Ryff
Carol D
CD
Institute on Aging, Medical Science Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. cryff@facstaff.wisc.edu
Dienberg Love
Gayle
G
Urry
Heather L
HL
Muller
Daniel
D
Rosenkranz
Melissa A
MA
Friedman
Elliot M
EM
Davidson
Richard J
RJ
Singer
Burton
B
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D015415:Biomarkers; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone