A study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine found that persons with a more positive mood were less likely to become sick compared to those with a less positive outlook.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University subjected healthy volunteers to personality testing that determined primary personality traits, percieved health, and emotional wellbeing. Then each person was inoculated with a cold or flu virus.
Over the next week volunteers were asked to report their symptoms, if any.
They found that those individuals who were labeled as having a more positive outlook, or as happy individuals were less likely to report symtpoms of illness.
Researchers believe that their may be two mechanisms at play. First is the objective theory that a happy mood may cause the immune system to behave more effectively. Then second, those with a more positive outlook may be less irritated or less likely to report mild symptoms.
When self reported optimism was accounted for, the happy person still had less complaints from the inoculation compared to those with a less positive outlook.
The authors concluded that "positive emotions have a big effect" on one's health and well being, possibly to a greater degree than we currently understand.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on December 12, 2006 03:32 PM
