Table A1.
Health and Happiness, final count (N = 56).
| Health | Hope | Harmony | 67 Unique | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Se | Study | Journal | Happiness Measure | Sample | Correlation of Happiness in Findings | Reviewers’ Agglutination of the Findings with the Three Categories Identified | Country | Culture | Quality Score (h5 Median) | ||
| 1 | Abachizadeh, K., Omidnia, S., Hajebi, A., Shekarriz-Foumani, R., and Mohseny, M. (2018). Measuring positive health of Iranians; Finding from Iran social health survey (ISHS). | Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 32, 1–6. | Self-report item using 5-point Likert Scale | 10,500 participants from Iran (Age Range = 18 and older; 51% Female, 49% Male). | Males showed higher happiness levels than females. As age increased, happiness levels decreased. Happiness was significantly higher in cities than in centers of provinces and rural areas, in never married or married persons in comparison to those divorced or widowed, in people with academic education and employed persons. The WHO defined different aspects of positive health as life satisfaction, quality of life, happiness, and self-rated health, and developed appropriate scales to measure positive health. Criterion validity of scales with a 40-question national happiness scale was examined in this research. The correlation coefficient of scales with a 40-item happiness scale was between 0.49, 0.53, 0.57, and 0.60 for ‘health status’, ‘happiness’, ‘quality of life’, and ‘life satisfaction’, respectively”. | + satisfaction | + quality of life | − increased age | Iran | Iranian | 44 |
| 2 | Abu-Raiya, H., Pargament, K. I., Krause, N., and Ironson, G. (2015). Robust links between religious/spiritual struggles, psychological distress, and well-being in a national sample of American adults. | American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(6), 565–575. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 2208 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 50.74, Standard Deviation = 19.00, Age Range = 18–96 years; 59% Female, 41% Male). | All 5 types of the religious/spiritual struggles assessed (divine, demonic, interpersonal, moral, ultimate meaning) correlated significantly negatively with happiness. | − religion, spiritual struggles | USA | American | 54 | ||
| 3 | Ansari, H., Ansari Moghaddam, A., Mohammadi, M., and Mahdavifar, N. (2018). Investigating the relationship between happiness and self-confidence with addiction recurrence in addicted people undergoing methadone treatment referred to addiction treatment centers of Zahedan city with an emphasis on the confounders of demographic variables and variables related to drug taking recurrence. | World Family Medicine Journal: Incorporating the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine, 99(5832), 1–8. | Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) | 250 participants from Iran (Age Range = 25 years below and above; 18% Female; 82% Male). | Incidence of addiction was higher in people with lower levels of happiness but was not statistically significant. Correlational analyses revealed that all 5 types of the struggles assessed (i.e., divine, demonic, interpersonal, moral, ultimate meaning) correlated significantly positively with both depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety, and significantly negatively with both satisfaction with life and happiness. Happiness has a weak correlation with addiction recurrence. | − addiction | − divine, interpersonal, moral struggles | Iran | Iranian | 14 | |
| 4 | Baruch, G. K., and Barnett, R. (1986). Role quality, multiple role involvement, and psychological well-being in midlife women. | Journal of personality and social psychology, 51(3), 578–585. | Pleasure Scale (PS) | 238 participants from the USA (Age Range = 35–55 years; 100% Female). | Self-esteem, number of roles a woman occupied (e.g., paid worker, wife, mother), family income, paid worker, and quality of experience in a wife’s role were significantly, positively associated with pleasure. Depression was significantly negatively associated with pleasure. Happiness or satisfaction are used as indices of well-being. | − Depression | + self-esteem, | + family income, roles of women, quality of experience of wife’s role | USA | American | 120 |
| 5 | Bieda, A., Hirschfeld, G., Schoenfeld, P., Brailovskaia, J., Zhang, X. C., and Margrave, J. (2017). Universal happiness? Cross-cultural measurement invariance of scales assessing positive mental health. | Psychological Assessment, 29(4), 408–421. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 20,000 participants from Germany (Mean Age = 26.54, SD = 4.00, Age Range = 18–60 years; 45% Female, 55% Male), Russia (Mean Age = 20.3, SD = 2.4, Age Range = 14–42 years; 35% Female, 65% Male), and China (Mean Age = 19.73, SD = 1.86, Age Range = 14–42 years; 38% Female, 62% Male). | On a cultural level, the characterization of a happy person differed. Traditionally, happiness is defined by the experience of more frequent positive affective states than negative ones (Bradburn, 1969). | + positive affective state, − negative affective state | Germany, Russia, China | German, Russian, Chinese | 73 | ||
| 6 | Boissoneault, J., Sevel, L., Robinson, M. E., and Staud, R. (2018). Functional brain connectivity of remembered fatigue or happiness in healthy adults: Use of arterial spin labeling. | Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 40(3), 224–233. | Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) | 17 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 22.4, SD = 5.9; 59% Female, 41% Male). | Greater functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and a cluster including the right fusiform gyrus, right cerebellum, and right lingual gyrus was associated with greater happiness ratings. Greater connectivity between the cuneus and a cluster including the left occipital pole, the left fusiform gyrus, and the left lingual gyrus was associated with lower happiness ratings. Positive mood induction resulted in mean in-scanner happiness ratings of 46.07 (18.99). H9 | + positive mood | USA | American | 43 | ||
| 7 | Bojanowska, A., and Zaleski, A. M. (2016). Lay understanding of happiness and the experience of well-being: Are some conceptions of happiness more beneficial than others? | Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(2), 793–815. | Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) | 785 participants from Poland (Age Range = 13–45 years). | Health was positively associated with happiness. In total, 785 participants were asked to list associations that came to mind on hearing the word ‘happiness’. Participants associated happiness mostly with health and relationships. | + health | Poland | Polish | 82 | ||
| 8 | Bombari, D., Schmid Mast, M., and Bachmann, M. (2017). Felt power explains the link between position power and experienced emotions. | Emotion, 17(1), 55–66. | Self-report item using 5-point Likert Scale | 160 participants from Switzerland (Mean Age = 23.52, SD = 3.65; 50% Female, 50% Male). | Felt power was positively related to happiness but not positional power. Positive emotions were an aggregate of happiness and interest. Happiness can also be more post-goal oriented (e.g., relieved, relaxed), in which case, happiness can be labeled as serenity (Gable and Harmon-Jones, 2008). | + felt power, − position power | + serenity | Switzerland | Swiss | 79 | |
| 9 | Booker, C. L., Skew, A. J., Kelly, Y. J., and Sacker, A. (2015). Media use, sports participation, and well-being in adolescence: Cross-sectional findings from the UK household longitudinal study. | American journal of public health, 105(1), 173–179. | 6 self-report items using overall happiness scale | 4899 participants from the UK (Age Range = 10–15; 49% Female, 51% Male). | Heavy screen-based media (SBM) use associated with less happiness. Greater participation in sports was associated with higher happiness. The authors determined happiness with life from six questions on how young people felt about schoolwork, their appearance, their family, friends, school, and life as a whole. They observed a linear relationship between greater sports participation and happiness. | + participation in sports, − heavy screen-based media | UK | British | 126 | ||
| 10 | Cameron, P., Titus, D. G., Kestin, J., and Kestin, M. (1973). The life satisfaction of nonnormal persons. | Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 41(2), 207–214. | Self-report questionnaire | 46 participants from the USA (Age Range = 6–19 years; 50% Females, 50% Males). | Greater happiness was found among handicapped youth vs. control. Male handicapped participants were more frequently happy in both the academic and recess settings. Happiness is a “state of being” concept (Osorio, 1966). | + handicapped youth | USA | American | 83 | ||
| 11 | Catalino, L. I., Algae, S. B., and Fredrickson, B. L. (2014). Prioritizing positivity: An effective approach to pursuing happiness? | Emotion, 14(6), 1155–1161. | Valuing Happiness Scale (VHS) | 235 participants from the USA (Age Range = 21–64 years; 76% Female, 24% Male). | High in prioritizing positivity predicted positive emotions and greater happiness. The integrative model of sustainable happiness (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, and Schkade, 2005), in which a genetic set point, circumstances, and intentional activities make up a person’s chronic level of happiness, suggesting that engaging in pleasant activities may be the most effective route to increasing happiness. | + positive emotions, pleasant activities | USA | American | 79 | ||
| 12 | Chadwick, A. E., Zoccola, P. M., Figueroa, W. S., and Rabideau, E. M. (2016). Communication and stress: Effects of hope evocation and rumination messages on heart rate, anxiety, and emotions after a stressor. | Health communication, 31(12), 1447–1459. | Self-report item using 5-point Likert Scale | 127 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 19.50, SD = 1.63, Age Range = 18–27 years; 50% Female, 50% Male) | Rumination-inducing messages led to less happiness. Hope-inducing messages led to greater happiness. Hope evocation messages should increase other positive emotions, such as happiness. The six emotion scales used were hope (hopeful, optimistic, encouraged), fear (fearful, worried, afraid, anxious, scared, distressed), guilt (guilty, ashamed, embarrassed, remorseful), sadness (sad, sorrowful, dreary, blue, down), happiness (happy, glad, pleased, cheerful, joyful), and anger (angry, mad, irritated, annoyed, frustrated). | − Rumination-inducing message | + Hope inducing message | USA | American | 73 | |
| 13 | Chatters, L. M. (1988). Subjective well-being evaluations among older Black Americans. | Psychology and Aging, 3(2), 184–190. | Self-report item using 3-point Likert Scale | 581 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 19.50, SD = 1.63, Age Range = 55 and older; 63% Female, 37% Male). | Being younger, widowed, or separated from a spouse, and experiencing high levels of stress and low levels of health satisfaction had significant direct effects on diminishing happiness. Happiness was directly influenced by stress and reported satisfaction with health. Health and stress factors are determinants of happiness ratings | − high stress | − being younger, widowed, separated from spouse | USA | American | 46 | |
| 14 | Chaverri, J., Praetorius, R. T., and Ruiz, E. (2018). Counselor happiness: Effects of therapy work with similar trauma. | Social Work in Mental Health, 16(4), 419–435. | Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) | 153 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 43.35, SD = 12.3, Age Range = 22–69 years; 67% Female, 33% Male). | Greater numbers of sessions per client and decreased posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with greater counselor happiness. The study found that posttraumatic stress and numbers of client sessions were the most significant predictors of happiness. Happiness has been linked to work performance, in addition to improved relationships, income, and long life (Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener, 2005). | + decreased posttraumatic stress, higher counselor sessions | USA | American | 24 | ||
| 15 | Datu, J. A. D., Yuen, M., and Chen, G. (2018). The triarchic model of grit is linked to academic success and well-being among Filipino high school students. | School Psychology Quarterly, 33(3), 428–438. | Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS) | 504 participants from the Philippines (Mean Age = 14.19, SD = 1.55, Age Range = 22–69 years; 56% Female, 44% Male). | Grit (perseverance of effort, consistency of interests, and adaptability to situations) positively predicted life interdependent happiness. Study 2 showed grit positively predicted life satisfaction, positive affect, and interdependent happiness. It also indicates that grit is linked to subjective well-being, interdependent happiness, and optimal psychological health. Interdependent happiness pertains to “global, subjective assessment of whether one is interpersonally harmonized with other people, being quiescent, and being ordinary, and connected to the collective way of well-being” (Hitokoto and Uchida, 2015, p. 214). | + grit, subjective well-being, psychological health | + interpersonal harmony, connected to the collective way | Philippines | Philippines | 63 | |
| 16 | Devins, G. M., Mandin, H., Hons, R. B., Burgess, E. D., Klassen, J., Taub, K., … and Buckle, S. (1990). Illness intrusiveness and quality of life in end-stage renal disease: Comparison and stability across treatment modalities. | Health Psychology, 9(2), 117–142. | Affect Balance Scale (ABS) | 99 participants from Canada (Mean Age = 41, 42% Female, 58% Male). | Higher levels of happiness were found among home dialysis patients vs. compared to in-center hemodialysis patients. Increased levels of perceived illness intrusiveness (its impact on quality of life) were significantly associated with decreased happiness. Quality of life was conceptualized as involving three facets, including satisfaction/happiness, pessimism/illness-related concerns, and depression/distress. Correlations for the satisfaction/happiness indicators showed that increased levels of perceived intrusiveness were significantly associated with decreased levels of life satisfaction, r(95) = −0.25, p < 0.025, positive affect, r(95) = −0.24, p < 0.05, and self-esteem, r(95) = −0.37, p < 0.01. | + home dialysis, satisfaction, − perceived illness, illness-related concerns, depression, distress | − increased levels of intrusiveness | Canada | Canadian | 74 | |
| 17 | Dewar, A. J., and Kavussanu, M. (2012). Achievement goals and emotions in team sport athletes. | Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 1(4), 254–267. | The Sport Emotion Questionnaire (SEQ) | 358 participants from the UK (34% Female, 66% Male). | Task involvement was positively associated with happiness. The results showed that task involvement was related to happiness, pride, and hope positively, and these relationships were mediated by perceived performance. Ego involvement was positively related to happiness (Dewar and Kavussanu (2011)). | + task involvement, pride, hope, ego involvement | UK | British | 48 | ||
| 18 | Diener, E., Colvin, C. R., Pavot, W. G., and Allman, A. (1991). The psychic costs of intense positive affect. | Journal of personality and social psychology, 61(3), 492–503. | Self-report item using 7-point Likert Scale | 192 participants from the USA (Age Range = 18 and above; 48% Female, 52% Male). | Persons’ valence success at a task predicted greater happiness when they succeeded but greater unhappiness when they failed. | + value of success at a task, − failure at a task | USA | USA | 120 | ||
| 19 | Durand, G. (2018). Demystification of the relationship between psychopathy and happiness. | Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(2), 381–395. | Subjective Fluctuating Happiness Scale (SFHS) and Subjective Authentic–Durable Happiness Scale (SA-DHS) | 597 participants from Europe, the USA, Asia/Middle East, Africa, Canada (Mean Age = 24.19, SD = 5.28; 45% Female, 55% Male). | Psychopathic personality traits—Fearless dominance was positively correlated with higher durable happiness and correlated negatively with fluctuating happiness. Impulsive antisociality was negatively correlated with durable happiness and correlated positively with fluctuating happiness. Research indicates that happiness, or affective well-being, is related primarily to the frequency, not to the intensity, of positive affect (PA). Fearless dominance (PPI-I) was positively correlated with higher durable happiness, the presence of meaning in life, personal growth, and hope, and correlated negatively with fluctuating happiness. Durable happiness includes characteristics such as contentment and inner peace. Fluctuating happiness represents a sudden increase in happiness, followed by a sudden decrease. | + psychopathic personality traits | + contentment, inner peace, − antisociality | Europe, USA, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Canada | European, American, Asian, Middle Easter, African, Canadian | 82 | |
| 20 | Efklides, A., Kalaitzidou, M., and Chankin, G. (2003). Subjective quality of life in old age in Greece: The effect of demographic factors, emotional state, and adaptation to aging. | European Psychologist, 8(3), 178–191. | Life Satisfaction Index | 160 participants from Greece (Age Range = 63–100 years; 50% Female, 50% Male). | More health problems and perceived seriousness of the health problems/effects associated with less happiness. Happiness is defined as a transient mood state of enthusiasm and joy that reflects the person’s affect with respect to his/her current state (Campbell et al., 1976). | + joy, enthusiasm, − more health problems, | Greece | Greece | 55 | ||
| 21 | Fry, M. D., Guivernau, M., Kim, M. S., Newton, M., Gano-Overway, L. A., and Magyar, T. M. (2012). Youth perceptions of a caring climate, emotional regulation, and psychological well-being. | Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 1(1), 44–57. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 395 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 11.80, SD = 1.54, Age Range = 9–16 years; 50% Female, 50% Male). | Negative and positive affective self-regulatory efficacy and caring climate were positively associated with happiness. Hope has been positively associated with academic performance, positive thinking, and adaptive coping methods. In a similar vein, happiness refers to the extent that individuals perceive that they are in broad general terms a more happy or unhappy person (Snyder et al., 1991). | + self-regulatory efficacy, positive thinking, adaptive coping | + academic performance | + caring climate | USA | American | 48 |
| 22 | Fujita, F., Diener, E., and Sandvik, E. (1991). Gender differences in negative affect and well-being: the case for emotional intensity. | Journal of personality and social psychology, 61(3), 427–434. | Self-report item using 6-point Likert Scale | 136 participants from the USA (Age Range = 18 and above; 48% Female, 52% Male). | Women with higher affective intensity than men were as happy as men. Gender accounted for less than 1% of the variance in happiness. Diener, Sandvik, Pavote, and Gallagher have shown that to the extent that people with a high need for approval report higher levels of happiness. | + affective intensity, high need for approval | USA | American | 120 | ||
| 23 | Fullen, M. C., Richardson, V. E., and Granello, D. H. (2018). Comparing successful aging, resilience, and holistic wellness as predictors of the good life. | Educational Gerontology, 44(7), 459–468. | Self-report item using 3-point Likert Scale | 200 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 73.72, SD = 9.05, Age Range = 55 and above; 84% Female, 16% Male). | Holistic wellness (physical, social, emotional, spiritual, contextual, occupational) and resilience predicted greater happiness. In this study, 8.5% of the sample met modified criteria for successful aging (SA) and were used as a comparison group with those who did not meet the criteria. Overall, holistic wellness and resilience predicted happiness, life satisfaction, and physical health better than SA alone. | + Holistic wellness, physical wellness, emotional wellness, resilience, physical health | + occupational wellness | + social wellness, contextual wellness, successful aging | USA | American | 29 |
| 24 | Galambos, N. L., Fang, S., Kahn, H. J., Johnson, M. D., and Lachman, M. E. (2015). Up, not down: The age curve in happiness from early adulthood to midlife in two longitudinal studies. | Developmental Psychology, 51(11), 1664–1671. | Self-report item using 3-point Likert Scale | 968 participants from Canada (Age Range = 18 and above; 47% Female, 53% Male). | There was an upward trend in the trajectory of happiness from early adulthood to midlife. Happiness, an indicator of subjective well-being, contributes to thriving in work, relationships, and health, as well as longevity (Hoppmann, Gerstorf, Willis, and Schaie, 2011; Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener, 2005). Diener et al. (1999) argued that happiness is an accumulation of positive emotions. Other scholars have characterized happiness as a balance of positive to negative affect (Ryff, 1989), positive affect experienced on a given day (Stone et al., 2010), and happiness with life (Helliwell, Layard, and Sachs, 2013). Authors label the measure (e.g., happiness, positive affect, life satisfaction, well-being). | + health, longevity, positive emotion, balance in emotions, life satisfaction, well-being | + work | + relationships, early adulthood, | Canada | Canadian | 87 |
| 25 | Gerstorf, D., Hülür, G., Wagner, G. G., Kunzmann, U., and Ram, N. (2018). Terminal change across facets of affective experience and domain satisfaction: Commonalities, differences, and bittersweet emotions at the end of life. | Developmental psychology, 54(12), 2382–2402. | Self-report item using 7-point Likert Scale | 864 participants from Germany (Mean Age = 75 years, SD = 12.5; 41% female, 59% Male). | Suffering from a more severe disability was associated with less happiness. Higher BMI was associated with steeper declines in happiness. Participants living with a partner were happier with family life throughout their last years. Happiness is elicited during goal pursuit and attainment (Lazarus, 1991). Higher perceived personal control over one’s life was associated with more frequent feelings of happiness and more satisfaction with health, leisure, and family life one year prior to death. | − suffering, severe disability, higher BMI, satisfaction with health | + goal pursuit, attainment of goals, higher personal control over one’s life, | + living with a partner, leisure, family life | Germany | German | 87 |
| 26 | Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Catarino, F., Baiao, R., and Palmeira, L. (2014). Fears of happiness and compassion in relationship with depression, alexithymia, and attachment security in a depressed sample. | British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53(2), 228–244. | Fear of Happiness Scale | 52 participants from the UK (Mean Age = 48.38, SD = 13.75, Age Range = 21–70 years; 69% Female, 31% Male). | Fears of happiness were highly positively correlated with alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress. Multiple regression analysis revealed that fear of happiness was the best predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress. | − fears, alexithymia, depression, anxiety, stress | UK | British | 44 | ||
| 27 | Ha, Y. M., and Hwang, W. J. (2014). Gender differences in internet addiction associated with psychological health indicators among adolescents using a national web-based survey. | International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 12(5), 660–669. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 56,086 participants from Korea (Mean Age = 15.2, SD = 0.02, Age Range = 12–18 years; 49% Female, 51% Male). | Internet addiction was significantly related to subjective unhappiness. Subjective happiness is defined as the psychological state of well-being, joy, and contentment (Lyubomirsky 2001). As expected, poor self-rated health, subjective happiness, and depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with Internet addiction in both genders. | − internet addiction, psychological well-being, contentment, joy, − poor health | Korea | Korean | 102 | ||
| 28 | Haczyński, J. (2016). Happy and Healthy Aging. The Analysis of the Relationship Between Age, Health, Education and Happiness on International Social Survey Programme Data. | Problemy Zarządzania, 14 (60), 24–39. | Self-report item using 4-point Likert Scale | 45,680 participants across the globe (Europe, the Far East, South America, and Africa), Age Range = 50 and younger, 50 and older. |
Happiness showed a downward trend in the older age groups. Women declared a lower level of happiness compared to men in post-socialist countries. Positive emotions or subjective happiness could have better impacts on health and quality of life (Frey, 2002). According to that study, happiness depends on three sets of factors:
• Demographic and personality factors such as age, gender, and family; • Economic factors, in particular unemployment, income, and inflation; • Political factors such as the extent of possibilities for citizens to participate in politics, and the degree of governmental decentralization, circumstances, as well as nationality, education, and health. |
+ positive emotions, subjective happiness, health | + education, − unemployment, inflation, quality of life, government decentralization, | + citizens’ participation in politics, nationality − older age groups women in post-socialist countries | Europe, Far East, South America, and Africa | European, Far Eastern, South American, and African | 15 |
| 29 | Hegarty, R. S., Treharne, G. J., Stebbings, S., and Conner, T. S. (2016). Fatigue and mood among people with arthritis: Carry-over across the day. | Health Psychology, 35(5), 492–499. | Self-report item using 10-point Likert Scale | 142 participants from New Zealand (Mean Age = 65.60, SD = 10.90, Age Range = 20–84 years; 68% Female, 32% Male). | Higher fatigue earlier in the day predicted lower happiness. The results showed that happiness increased at mid-morning and then plateaued. The following equation provides an example, where T equals Time, and T + 1 equals the subsequent time point: Happiness T + 1 = P0 + P1(Fatigue) + P2(PainT) + P3(Happiness) + P4 + Frustration T + | − higher fatigue, | New Zealand | New Zealanders | 74 | ||
| 30 | Jamrozik, A., Oraa Ali, M., Sarwer, D. B., and Chatterjee, A. (2019). More than skin deep: Judgments of individuals with facial disfigurement. | Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 13(1), 117–129. | Self-Assessment Manikin 9-point pictorial scale | 145 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 35.39; 43% Female, 57% Male). | People with “disfigurements” were subjectively judged as less happy. The authors suggested that people with “disfigurements” are perceived as having “fewer desirable personality traits” (e.g., emotional stability, conscientiousness), internal attributes (e.g., happiness, intelligence), and social attributes (e.g., trustworthiness, popularity). | + emotional stability, conscientiousness, intelligence; − “disfigurement”, “less desirable”, personality traits | + popularity | + trustworthiness | USA | American | 61 |
| 31 | Jopp, D., and Rott, C. (2006). Adaptation in very old age: Exploring the role of resources, beliefs, and attitudes for centenarians’ happiness. | Psychology and Aging, 21(2), 266–280. | Life Satisfaction Index | 179 participants from Germany (Age Range = 90 and above; 89% Female, 11% Male). | Job training, cognition, health, social network, and extraversion explained a substantial proportion of variance in happiness. As determinants of happiness, several resources have been investigated. Basic resources (i.e., job training, cognition, health, social network, extraversion) explained a substantial proportion of variance in happiness. | + health, cognition, extraversion | + job training | + social network | Germany | German | 46 |
| 32 | Krause, N., Pargament, K. I., and Ironson, G. (2017). Does a religious transformation buffer the effects of lifetime trauma on happiness? | The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 27(2), 104–115. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 2851 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 46.5, SD = 17.6, Age Range = 18 and above; 56% Female, 44% Male). | The relationship between lifetime trauma and happiness was fully moderated for people who experienced a religious transformation. The data indicated that the magnitude of the relationship between lifetime trauma and happiness is reduced significantly for people who have had a religious transformation but not for those who have not had this type of religious experience. (Charoenwong et al., 2017; Starbuck, 1901)—both studies found positive relationships between religious transformations and happiness, but both studies rely on convenience samples. | − lifetime trauma | + religious transformation | USA | American | 27 | |
| 33 | Krause, N., Pargament, K. I., Hill, P. C., and Ironson, G. (2016). Humility, stressful life events, and psychological well-being: Findings from the landmark spirituality and health survey. | The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(5), 499–510. | Self-report item using 3 indicators | 3010 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 46.3, SD = 17.7, Age Range = 18 and older; 56% Female, 44%). | The negative relationship between stressful life events and happiness was reduced among people who were humbler. The data indicate that stress significantly reduces happiness among the study participants with the lowest observed humility score (β = −0.429; p < 0.001). | + humility, − stressful life | USA | American | 87 | ||
| 34 | Kugbey, N., Atefoe, E. A., Anakwah, N., Nyarko, K., and Atindanbila, S. (2018). Emotional intelligence and personal growth initiative effects on subjective happiness among university students. | Journal of Psychology in Africa, 28(4), 261–266. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 260 participants from Ghana (Mean Age = 21.72, SD = 3.61; 70% Female, 30% Male). | Emotional intelligence and personal growth initiative were positively associated with subjective happiness. The findings suggest that students’ ability to manage and utilize their emotions, as well as their personal growth initiative, contribute significantly to their level of happiness. It is defined by both happiness (which reflects the affective component of well-being) and life satisfaction (which reflects the cognitive component of well-being) (Diener, Suh, and Lucas, 1999; Ngamaba, 2016). | + emotional intelligence, well-being, life satisfaction, managing emotions | + personal growth | Ghana | Ghanian | 26 | |
| 35 | Kumar, M. V. (2015). Emotional expressivity, loneliness, and subjective happiness as predictors of psychological wellbeing among the elderly. | Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 6(12), 1169–1173. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 60 participants from India (Age Range = 60 and above; 50% Female; 50% Male). | Psychological well-being was significantly positively associated with subjective happiness. The results showed a significant positive relationship between subjective happiness and psychological well-being. | + psychological well-being, subjective happiness | India | Indian | 24 | ||
| 36 | Lathia, N., Sandstrom, G. M., Mascolo, C., and Rentfrow, P. J. (2017). Happier people live more active lives: Using smartphones to link happiness and physical activity. | PLoS ONE , 12(1), e0160589. | Self-Report using Affect Grid on Smartphone App | 12,838 participants from the UK (Age Range = 15–44 years; 43% Female, 54% Male, 3% Unknown). | Individuals who are more physically active are happier. We examined the relationship between physical activity (measured broadly) and happiness using a smartphone application. The findings reveal that individuals who are more physically active are happier. This research suggests that not only exercise but also non-exercise physical activity is related to happiness. Happiness correlated positively with laughing, r(9164) = 0.21, p < 0.001, d = 0.43, and negatively with crying, r(9164) = −0.18, p < 0.001, d = 0.38. | + physically active, exercise, non-exercise physical activity, laughter | UK | British | 278 | ||
| 37 | Lobos, G., Mora, M., del Carmen Lapo, M., Caligari, C., and Schnettler, B. (2015). Happiness and health and food-related variables: Evidence for different age groups in Chile. | Suma Psicológica, 22(2), 120–128. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 1163 participants from China (Age Range = 20 to 65 years; 65% Female; 35% Male). | People with more unhealthy days, a poorer perception of their health, and less satisfaction with their food-related lives were less happy. Health-related factors and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL) are strong predictors of happiness. Happiness in the sense of a personal attribute can serve as a proxy for well-being (Raibley, 2012). We define happiness as the degree to which someone positively evaluates the overall quality of his or her present, ‘life as a whole’ (Veenhoven, 1984). | − unhealthy days, poorer perception of health | + holistic life | − less satisfied with food-related life | China | Chinese | 32 |
| 38 | Lucas, R. E. (2007). Long-term disability is associated with lasting changes in subjective well-being: evidence from two nationally representative longitudinal studies. | Journal of personality and social psychology, 92(4), 717–730. | Self-report item using 10-point Likert Scale | 679 participants from Germany (Mean Age = 53.63; 45% Female, 55% Male). | Disability was associated with moderate to large drops in happiness over time. Findings have led some to suggest that people are able to adapt to almost any life circumstance and that long-term levels of happiness cannot change. Disabilities can have strong effects on people’s happiness. | − disability | Germany | German | 120 | ||
| 39 | Matsunaga, M., Masuda, T., Ishii, K., Ohtsubo, Y., Noguchi, Y., Ochi, M., and Yamasue, H. (2018). Culture and cannabinoid receptor gene polymorphism interact to influence the perception of happiness. | PLoS ONE, 13(12), 1–17 | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 259 participants from Japan (Mean Age: 19.51, Age Range: 18−28 years; 61% Female, 39% Male) and 181 participants from Canada (Mean Age: 19.47, Age Range: 17−28 years; 78% Female, 22% Male). | Culture and CNR1 polymorphism interacted to influence the perception of happiness. The subjective happiness level was the highest in Japanese individuals with the CC genotype, whereas in Canadian participants, it was the highest in individuals with the TT genotype. Furthermore, the effects of the CNR1 genotype on situation-specific happiness were also different between the groups. Happiness accompanied by being surrounded by happy people was the highest among Japanese individuals with the CC genotype, whereas among Canadian individuals, it was the highest in TT genotype carriers. Genotypes on happiness might differ among different cultures because the concept of happiness varies by culture. In Japan, favorable external circumstances determine the concept of happiness, and in Canada, the concept of happiness centers on positive feelings. | + positive feelings, | + culture, surrounded by happy people, favorable external circumstances | Japan | Japanese | 278 | |
| 40 | Mujcic, R., and J. Oswald, A. (2016). Evolution of well-being and happiness after increases in consumption of fruit and vegetables. | American Journal of Public Health, 106(8), 1504–1510. | Self-report item using 6-point Likert Scale | 12,385 participants from Australia (Age Range = 15–93). | Increased fruit and vegetable consumption was predictive of increased happiness. Increased fruit and vegetable consumption was predictive of increased happiness, life satisfaction, and well-being. The regression equations reveal that fruit and vegetable consumption in the current year is predictive of higher well-being—measured either as life satisfaction or as happiness—in the future even after control for current well-being. | + life-satisfaction, well-being | + increased fruit and vegetable consumption | Australia | Australian | 126 | |
| 41 | Murphy, D. A., Armistead, L., Marelich, W. D., Payne, D. L., and Herbeck, D. M. (2011). Pilot trial of a disclosure intervention for HIV+ mothers: The TRACK program. | Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 79(2), 203–214. | Happiness and Satisfaction Scale | 80 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 8.7, SD = 2.0, Age Range = 6–12 years; 37% Female, 63% Male). | Children of mothers living with HIV who underwent the Teaching, Raising, Additionally, Communicating with Kids (TRACK) program exhibited increases in happiness. For those in the intervention group, happiness increased and greater freedom from anxiety was noted from baseline to 3 months. | + greater freedom from anxiety | + children with mothers | USA | American | 83 | |
| 42 | Ogle, C. M., Rubin, D. C., and Siegler, I. C. (2013). The impact of the developmental timing of trauma exposure on PTSD symptoms and psychosocial functioning among older adults. | Developmental psychology, 49(11), 2191–2209. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 1995 participants from the USA (mean Age = 60.83, SD = 1.57; 31% Female, 69% Male). | Older adults who experienced traumatic events during childhood vs. after the transition to adulthood exhibited lower subjective happiness. Older adults whose most distressing trauma occurred during childhood reported lower subjective happiness (M = 5.11, SD = 1.18) compared to those whose most distressing trauma occurred in young adulthood (M = 5.44, SD = 1.10), midlife (M = 5.48, SD = 1.08), and older adulthood (M = 5.51, SD = 1.00). The mean (SD) for the adolescence exposure group was 5.27 (1.17). Similar results emerged for psychosocial indices associated with successful adaptation following trauma exposure, including subjective happiness, social support, and coping ability. | − older adults with traumatic experiences + subjective happiness, coping ability | + social support | USA | American | 87 | |
| 43 | Peltzer, K., and Pengpid, S. (2017). Dietary consumption and happiness and depression among university students: A cross-national survey. | Journal of Psychology in Africa, 27(4), 372–377. | Four-item Happiness Scale | 18,522 participants from 28 countries from Asia, Africa, and the Americas (Mean Age = 20.9, SD = 2.4, Age Range = 17–30 years; 58% Female, 42% Male). | The amount of fruit and vegetable consumption was positively associated with happiness. The influence of fruit and vegetable consumption, sociodemographic, and health-related factors on happiness and depression scores were analyzed with a series of multiple linear regression models. The results indicate that the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption was positively associated with happiness and inversely associated with depression. | + health-related factors, − depression | + fruit and vegetable consumption, sociodemographic factors | 28 countries from Asia, Africa, and the Americas | 29 cultures from Asia, Africa, and the Americas | 26 | |
| 44 | Pishgar, F., Soleyman-Jahi, S., Pishgar, F., Eftekhar Ardebili, H., Jamal, A., and Arab, A. (2016). Level of happiness and its determining factors in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study. | Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 34(5), 431–441. | Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) | 200 participants from Iran (Mean Age = 28.71, SD = 4.73; 100% Female). | Most pregnant women, maternal age (21–40), and no smoking history independently correlated with higher happiness. Happiness provides a positive attitude toward life, a healthy mental status, emotional balance, hope for the future, and better sleep (Sabatini, 2014). | + no-smoking history, healthy mental status, emotional balance, better sleep, positive attitude towards life | + hope for the future | + pregnant women, maternal age | Iran | Iranian+L35:L36 | 41 |
| 45 | Ren, Q., and Ye, M. (2017). Losing children and mental well-being: evidence from China. | Applied Economics Letters, 24(12), 868–877. | Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D Scale) | 27,992 participants from China (Mean Age = 61.77, SD = 9.7, Age Range = 45 and older; 50% Female, 50% Male). | The bereavement of a child was associated with lower levels of happiness. The bereavement of a child is associated with lower levels of mental health and happiness and higher levels of loneliness, and these effects are stronger when all their children are lost. | − lower levels of mental health | − losing/bereavement of a child, higher levels of loneliness | China | Chinese | 52 | |
| 46 | Richards, J., Jiang, X., Kelly, P., Chau, J., Bauman, A., and Ding, D. (2015). Don’t worry, be happy: cross-sectional associations between physical activity and happiness in 15 European countries. | BMC public health, 15(1), 1–16 | Self-report item using 6-point Likert Scale | 11,637 participants from 15 European countries (Age Range = 15 and older). | Increasing physical activity volume was associated with higher levels of happiness. Happiness is an example of a positive construct of mental health that may be promoted by physical activity and could increase resilience to emotional perturbations. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between happiness and physical activity volume adjusted for sex, age, country, general health, relationship status, employment, and education. Happiness was also associated with “a lot” of leisure physical activity (OR = 1.15 [1.02–1.30]) | + increasing physical activity, positive construct of mental health, resilience, lot of leisure activity, general health | + employment, education | + country, sex, relationship status | 15 European Countries | 16 European Cultures | 131 |
| 42 | Ogle, C. M., Rubin, D. C., and Siegler, I. C. (2013). The impact of the developmental timing of trauma exposure on PTSD symptoms and psychosocial functioning among older adults. | Developmental psychology, 49(11), 2191–2209. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 1995 participants from the USA (mean Age = 60.83, SD = 1.57; 31% Female, 69% Male). | Older adults who experienced a traumatic event during childhood vs. after the transition to adulthood exhibited lower subjective happiness. Older adults whose most distressing trauma occurred during childhood reported lower subjective happiness (M = 5.11, SD = 1.18) compared to those whose most distressing trauma occurred in young adulthood (M = 5.44, SD = 1.10), midlife (M = 5.48, SD = 1.08), and older adulthood (M = 5.51, SD = 1.00). The mean (SD) for the adolescence exposure group was 5.27 (1.17). Similar results emerged for psychosocial indices associated with successful adaptation following trauma exposure, including subjective happiness, social support, and coping ability. | − older adults with traumatic experiences + subjective happiness, coping ability | + social support | USA | American | 87 | |
| 47 | Rocca, C. H., Kimport, K., Roberts, S. C., Gould, H., Neuhaus, J., and Foster, D. G. (2015). Decision rightness and emotional responses to abortion in the United States: A longitudinal study. | PLoS ONE, 10(7), 1–16 | Self-report item using 8-point Likert Scale | 667 participants from the USA (Age Range = 15 and older; 100% Female). | Women with more planned pregnancies and who had more difficulty deciding to terminate experienced lower levels of happiness when it came to deciding about abortions. The participants completed semiannual phone surveys to assess whether they felt that having the abortion was the right decision for them; negative emotions (regret, anger, guilt, sadness) about the abortion; and positive emotions (relief, happiness). | − negative emotions, regret, anger, guilt, sadness, + relief | − women with planned pregnancies, deciding to terminate pregnancies, abortions | USA | American | 278 | |
| 48 | Saki, N., Yadollahpour, A., Moniri, S., Karimi, M., Bayat, A., Abshirini, H., and Nikakhlagh, S. (2017). Investigating the impacts of cochlear implantation on the happiness and self-esteem of mothers of children with severe hearing loss. | International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 15(2), 288–294. | Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) | 40 participants from Iran (Mean Age = 27, SD = 5.2). | Cochlear implantation surgery increases happiness in mothers of children with hearing loss. A significant difference was observed between the happiness and self-esteem scores before and after surgery (p < 0.001). Cochlear implantation surgery increases happiness and self-esteem in mothers of children with hearing loss. | + cochlear implantation surgery | + self-esteem | Iran | Iranian | 102 | |
| 49 | Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., and Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. | American psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. | Steen Happiness Index (SHI) | 577 participants from the USA (Age Range = 35 to 54 years; 58% Female, 42% Male). | Three positive psychology interventions—gratitude visits, three good things in life, using signature strengths in a new way—increased happiness. Fulfilling—contributes to individual fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness broadly construed better-defined routes to “happiness” (Seligman, 2002): (a) positive emotion and pleasure (the pleasant life); (b) engagement (the engaged life); and (c) meaning (the meaningful life). | + positive psychology interventions, positive emotions, pleasure | + good things in life, engagement, meaningful life | + gratitude visit | USA | American | 142 |
| 50 | Stasolla, F., Caffò, A. O., Perilli, V., Boccasini, A., Damiani, R., and D’Amico, F. (2018). Fostering locomotion fluency of five adolescents with Rett syndrome through a microswitch-based program: contingency awareness and social rating. | Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 30(2), 239–258. | Behavioral Measure-recording indices of happiness, i.e., smiling, laughing, excited, energized body, arm and leg movements with or without vocalizations. | 5 participants from Italy (Age Range = 13–17 years. | Use of a microswitch-based program for Rett syndrome (promotes locomotion fluency) increased happiness. Researchers usually refer to behavioral signs of happiness (i.e., smiling, laughing, excited body, and arms and leg movements with or without vocalizations) labeling them indices of happiness and considering them as an outcome measure of the participants’ quality of life. | + microswitch-based programs, quality of life | + quality of life | Italy | Italian | 30 | |
| 51 | Van Tongeren, D. R., and Burnette, J. L. (2018). Do you believe happiness can change? An investigation of the relationship between happiness mindsets, well-being, and satisfaction. | The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(2), 101–109. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 277 participants from the USA (39% Female, 61% Male). | Encouraging growth mindsets led to stronger beliefs in the changeable nature of happiness. Happiness growth mindsets were associated with greater well-being and greater relationship satisfaction. In the current work, we extend the implicit theory framework to happiness to foster a more complete understanding of the processes underlying well-being appraisals and subsequent satisfaction with relationships, jobs, and life more generally. Happiness is associated with well-being and related satisfaction outcomes. | + growth mindsets, greater well-being | + satisfaction outcomes | + stronger beliefs, greater relationship satisfaction | USA | American | 87 |
| 52 | Veni, R. K., Gomes, R. F., and Aurora, A. P. (2018). Differences in happiness and emotional intelligence among adolescents and adults. | Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 9(1), 115–117. | Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) | 150 participants from India (Age Range = 13 and older). | No significant difference was found in the happiness levels between adolescents and adults. Happiness is about our lives as a whole; it includes the fluctuating feelings we experience every day but also our overall satisfaction with life. It is influenced by our genes, upbringing, and our external situation. However, crucially, it is also heavily influenced by our choices, our inner attitudes, how we approach our relationships, our personal values, and our sense of purpose. Happiness is the sum over a lifetime of all specific feelings (Kahneman, 1999). | + inner attitudes | + the external situation, positive choices, sense of purpose | + upbringing, relationships, personal values | India | Indian | |
| 53 | Witvliet, C. V., Richie, F. J., Root Luna, L. M., and Van Tongeren, D. R. (2019). Gratitude predicts hope and happiness: A two-study assessment of traits and states. | The Journal of Positive Psychology, 14(3), 271–282. | Keyes’s Flourishing Scale | 181 participants from the USA (Mean Age = 20.07, SD = 1.19, Age Range = 17–27 years; 83% Female, 17% Male). | Grateful remembering practices bolstered present happiness. Happiness is the enjoyment of a present good. In the stepwise hierarchical regression analysis reported, forgivingness (β = 0.24, p = 0.004), self-control (β = 0.23, p < 0.002), and patience (β = 0.04, p = 0.656) together accounted for 15% of happiness scores. | + gratitude practices | + gratitude practices, | USA | Chinese | 87 | |
| 54 | Yue, X. D., Liu, K. W. Y., Jiang, F., and Hiranandani, N. A. (2014). Humor styles, self-esteem, and subjective happiness. | Psychological reports, 115(2), 517–525. | Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 227 participants from China (Mean Age = 20.90, SD = 1.7, Age Range = 18–28 years; 59% Female, 41% Male). | Adaptive humor styles (affiliative humor and self-enhancing humor) significantly predicted subjective happiness. Maladaptive humor styles (aggressive humor and self-defeating humor) did not strongly predict subjective happiness. Adaptive humor styles (affiliative humor and self-enhancing humor) significantly predicted self-esteem and subjective happiness. Subjective happiness was positively associated with affiliative humor (β = 0.20) and self-enhancing humor (β = 0.39). | + affirmative humor | China | Chinese | 54 | ||
| 55 | Zhang, S., Zhang, H., Qiu, Z., and Tang, H. (2017). Effects of a positive psychological intervention on the mental health and happiness of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. | Biomedical Research, 28 (9): 4020–4025. | Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH) | 200 participants from China (100% Female). | A positive psychological intervention improved the happiness of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). The total happiness score, positive affect score, and positive experience score were significantly higher. Thus, a positive psychological intervention can improve the mental health and happiness of patients undergoing IVF and improve the clinical pregnancy rate. | + positive psychological interventions, positive experience, mental health | China | Chinese | 35 | ||
| 56 | Ziapour, A., Khatony, A., Jafari, F., and Kianipour, N. (2018). Correlation of Personality Traits with Happiness among University Students. | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 12(4), 26–29. | Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) | 400 participants from Iran (Age Range = 18–26 years; 38% Female, 62% Male). | There was a significant positive relationship between happiness and extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness to experiences. The results of correlation analyses demonstrated that there was a significant positive relationship between happiness (p < 0.001) and each of the personality trait dimensions of extraversion (p < 0.001, r = 0.594), agreeableness (p < 0.001, r = 0.431), neuroticism (p < 0.001, r = 0.368), conscientiousness (p < 0.001, r = 0.351), and openness to experiences (p < 0.001, r = 0.151). According to the theory of personality by Eysenck SB et al., happiness is a personality variable for which a biological basis can be considered [26]. | + extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, − neuroticism | Iran | Iran | 71 | ||