All articles tagged with #life satisfaction
A two-wave longitudinal study of 234 university students found that heavy short-video use predicted increased loneliness after three months, which in turn predicted higher anxiety and, ultimately, lower life satisfaction, suggesting a sequential coping pathway rather than a direct effect. Limitations include self-reported data and a sample mostly of young, female students.
A PsyPost study analyzing 13,464 adult gamers found that those who play primarily to win have higher generalized anxiety than players motivated by relaxation, fun, or improvement. Using network analysis, researchers observed that relaxed/fun/improve motives link to more gaming hours for socially avoidant players, while win-motivated players show a distinct pattern and may reduce play as anxiety increases. Women more often cite fun or relaxation, men more often aim to improve or win. Higher generalized anxiety also predicted lower life satisfaction across all players. Limitations include a gender-imbalanced, League of Legends–centric sample; findings suggest mental-health guidance should consider individual gaming motivations.
A University of Zurich study of over 17,000 youths in Germany and the UK finds that long-term singlehood is linked to declines in life satisfaction and rising loneliness and depressive symptoms, especially in the late twenties. Entering a first romantic relationship improves life satisfaction and reduces loneliness in both the short and long term, but does not significantly affect depressive symptoms.
Historically, surveys have shown that middle age is the least happy period in life, with a consistent pattern of a happiness dip during mid-life across various countries, but recent findings suggest this trend may be changing.
A systematic review of 33 clinical trials suggests that laughter therapy significantly reduces anxiety and enhances life satisfaction in adults, with large effect sizes observed, especially in laughter yoga and social interaction-based therapies, indicating potential as a therapeutic tool.
A study of Italian young adults suggests that parental overprotection may increase anxiety, reducing life satisfaction, while better parental care can improve anger control and enhance life satisfaction, with anxiety and anger acting as mediators in these relationships.
Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year, while India stands at 126th out of 143 nations in the global happiness index. The report notes that older age is associated with higher life satisfaction in India, with the young being the "happiest" and those in the "lower middle" rung being the least happy. The US has fallen out of the top 20 for the first time, and Afghanistan remains the world's 'unhappiest' nation. The report also highlights the importance of strengthening family and social networks to enhance well-being in older age, and provides separate rankings by age group, with Lithuania topping the list for children and young people under 30, and Denmark being the happiest nation for those 60 and older.
The World Happiness Report for 2024 has been released, with Finland once again topping the list as the world's happiest country. Nordic countries dominate the top rankings, while the United States drops out of the top 20 for the first time. The report also includes separate rankings by age group, revealing a decline in happiness among young people in some parts of the world, particularly in North America. However, there are welcome gains in happiness in several Eastern European countries. The report highlights the factors contributing to happiness and notes that despite challenges, young people globally have shown improved life satisfaction and enduring benevolence.
Studies have shown a correlation between income and happiness, with richer individuals generally reporting higher levels of life satisfaction. Many people believe that their lives would improve if they could earn more money, as it would enable them to afford necessities and contribute to their overall well-being.
New research suggests that attending live sporting events is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of loneliness. The study, which surveyed over 7,000 people in England, found that those who had attended a live sporting event within the past year were more likely to report that their lives were worthwhile. The researchers suggest that the social interaction inherent in sporting events can make people feel as if they belong, thus making them less lonely. While more research is needed to determine whether sporting events are responsible for higher life satisfaction scores, the findings could be useful for shaping future public health strategies.