A Harvard University study on women across different racial groups suggests links between optimism and a longer lifespan; with the group scoring the highest on optimism associated with an extra 4.5 years of life when compared to the lowest-scoring group.
“Our findings suggest that there’s value to focusing on positive psychological factors, like optimism, as possible new ways of promoting longevity and healthy aging across diverse groups,” said lead author of the study, Hayami Koga.
The study found that optimism remained consistently correlated with longevity regardless of the factors considered whilst pessimism was associated with a shorter life span.
The study found women who were in the top 25 percent for optimism had a 10 percent higher chance of living past the age of 90 when compared to the bottom 25 percent on optimism and were also more likely to have a 5.4 percent longer lifespan, translating to 4.5 more years….