Newswise, December 8, 2015 — People who have a higher sense of purpose in life are at lower risk of
death and cardiovascular disease, reports a pooled data analysis in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of
Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. The
journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
"Possessing a high sense of purpose in life is associated
with a reduced risk for mortality and cardiovascular events," according to
the study by Drs. Randy Cohen and Alan Rozanski and colleagues at Mt. Sinai St.
Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, New York. While the mechanisms behind the
association remain unclear, the findings suggest that approaches to
strengthening a sense of purpose might lead to improved health outcomes.
How Does Purpose in Life Affect Health and
Mortality Risks?
Using a technique called meta-analysis, the researchers pooled data from previous studies evaluating the relationship between purpose in life and the risk of death or cardiovascular disease.
The analysis included data on more
than 136,000 participants from ten studies—mainly from the United States or
Japan. The US studies evaluated a sense of purpose or meaning in life, or
"usefulness to others." The Japanese studies assessed the concept of
ikigai, translated as "a life worth living."
The study participants, average age 67 years, were followed up
for an average of seven years. During this time, more than 14,500 participants
died from any cause while more than 4,000 suffered cardiovascular events (heart
attack, stroke, etc).
The analysis showed a lower risk of death for participants
with a high sense of purpose in life. After adjusting for other factors,
mortality was about one-fifth lower for participants reporting a strong sense
of purpose, or ikigai.
A high sense of purpose in life was also related to a lower
risk of cardiovascular events.
Both associations remained significant on
analysis of various subgroups, including country, how purpose in life was
measured, and whether the studies included participants with pre-existing
cardiovascular disease..
There is a well-documented link between "negative
psychosocial risk factors" and adverse health outcomes, including heart
attack, stroke, and overall mortality. "Conversely, more recent study
provides evidence that positive psychosocial factors can promote healthy
physiological functioning and greater longevity," according to the
authors.
The new analysis assembles high-quality data from studies
assessing the relationship between purpose life and various measures of health
and adverse clinical outcomes.
The researchers write, "Together, these
findings indicate a robust relationship between purpose in life and mortality
and/or adverse cardiovascular outcomes."
While further studies are needed to determine how purpose in
life might promote health and deter disease, preliminary data suggest a few
basic mechanisms. The association might be explained physiologically, such as
by buffering of bodily responses to stress; or behaviorally, such as by a
healthier lifestyle.
"Of note, having a strong sense of life purpose has long
been postulated to be an important dimension of life, providing people with a
sense of vitality motivation and resilience," Dr. Rozanski comments.
"Nevertheless, the medical implications of living with a high or low sense
of life purpose have only recently caught the attention of investigators. The
current findings are important because they may open up new potential
interventions for helping people to promote their health and sense of
well-being."
Article: “Purpose in Life and Its Relationship to All-Cause
Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis” (doi:
10.1097/PSY.0000000000000274)
About Psychosomatic Medicine
Psychosomatic Medicine, Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, founded in 1939, is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. It publishes experimental and clinical studies dealing with various aspects of the relationships among social, psychological, and behavioral factors and bodily processes in humans and animals. Psychosomatic Medicine, Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine is an international, interdisciplinary journal devoted to experimental and clinical investigation in behavioral biology, psychiatry, psychology, physiology, anthropology, and clinical medicine. The print journal is published nine times a year; most articles are published online ahead of print.
About the American Psychosomatic Society
The mission of the American Psychosomatic Society is to promote and advance the scientific understanding and multidisciplinary integration of biological, psychological, behavioral and social factors in human health and disease, and to foster the dissemination and application of this understanding in education and health care.
The mission of the American Psychosomatic Society is to promote and advance the scientific understanding and multidisciplinary integration of biological, psychological, behavioral and social factors in human health and disease, and to foster the dissemination and application of this understanding in education and health care.
The American Psychosomatic Society is a worldwide community of
scholars and clinicians dedicated to the scientific understanding of the
interaction of mind, brain, body and social context in promoting health. The
organization is devoted to biopsychosocial research and integrated clinical
care, and to providing a forum via its website, Annual Meeting and journal,
Psychosomatic Medicine, for sharing this research. Its members are from around
the world, including specialists from all medical and health-related
disciplines, the behavioral sciences, and the social sciences.
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Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information services. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer's market leading information-enabled tools and software solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world.
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