Objective Health and Subjective Well-being

In psychology, the phrase "subjective well-being" (SWB) refers to one’s overall sense of how well their life is proceeding.  The topic is of intense interest to both the professional and lay communities, since it addresses fundamental features regarding quality of life and, by extension, of society.  And because no one has studied the issues longer and more fruitfully than Ed Diener of the University of Illinois, I begin this blog by abstracting from his work and that of his colleagues.  More specifically, I summarize their literature review of October, 2016 as it pertains to SWB and health.

The reviewers point out that SWB is a multi-faceted concept that, among other things, includes not only life satisfaction in general but the relative frequency and balance of positive versus negative emotional experiences.  They remind us too that SWB is not only the result of how we live but also a cause of what we do.  For instance, all else being equal, persons of normal weight tend to be more satisfied than are obese persons, and being satisfied or unsatisfied with their weight often directly or indirectly prompts them to continue the behaviors that caused their positive or negative weight condition in the first place.  Similar to most important human conditions, SWB is described as varying in some ways across cultures.  Thus, the Diener group notes that although the homeless in India have far less material resources than the American homeless, they tend to have greater SWB.

Not surprisingly, for the average woman or man, higher SWB is associated with better health and longevity; they characteristically enjoy more effective immune systems, better cardiovascular status, less sleep disturbances, and reduced physiological markers of stress (e.g., cortisol).  Moreover, persons with high SWB are quicker to rebound physically from a stressor, such as by having their blood pressure return faster to their baseline after an upsetting experience.  Non-physiological benefits are present as well.  Persons satisfied with their well-being usually evidence increased work productivity, constructive social relationships, and are more responsible citizens.

To their credit, Diener and colleagues acknowledge that high SWB is no guarantee of a perfect existence.  They cite research suggesting that one can have a too high sense of SWB.  Persons so "afflicted" at times have been found to be lower achievers than are those of moderate SWB,  And extremely high SWB can cause an individual to be overly intense and otherwise overly stimulated, actually undermining health.

The Diener et al. review offers useful information, but no review is ever complete or above reproach. Although technically a theory of motivation, Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan's self-determination theory (1985) is relevant to our present discussion.  It proposes that we all should strive toward achieving personal competence, autonomy, and relatedness.  And managing to operate those ways undoubtedly produces SWB within us and all the benefits appertaining.

In order to be healthy then, you do not need to be perfectly satisfied.  You do not need to attain a very high level of SWB.  Rather, I believe, that being content, but not complacent, facilitates physical and mental health.  A relatively straightforward, simple strategy for that outcome can involve deliberate actions toward attaining competence, autonomy, and relatedness.

References:

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. New York: Plenum.

Diener, E. et. al., (2016).  Findings All Psychologists Should Know From the New Science on Subjective Well-Being.  Canadian Psychology, October 6.   No Pagination Specified. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000063.