Can a Happy Relationship Predict a Happy Life? Apparently, Yes

The association between overall life satisfaction (LS) and relationship satisfaction (RS) was investigated longitudinally among 67,000 mothers in Norway.

Data were collected twice during pregnancy, and at 6 and 36 months postpartum:

- Satisfaction increased during pregnancy.

- However, relationship satisfaction decreased immediately following birth.

- Life satisfaction showed an initial increase followed by a decrease postpartum.

Relationship satisfaction predicted change in life satisfaction. Having a satisfying romantic relationship was important for retaining and increasing future life satisfaction.

References:

Can a Happy Relationship Predict a Happy Life? A Population-Based Study of Maternal Well-Being During the Life Transition of Pregnancy, Infancy, and Toddlerhood, Journal of Happiness Studies, Volume 11, 663-793, Number 6 / December 2010.

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

"Values-In-Action" Character Strengths Predict Well-Being

Character strengths can be conceptualized in the Values-In-Action (VIA) strengths classification system.

135 undergraduate university students completed measures of strengths use, subjective well-being (SWB), self-esteem, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and endorsed 5 top VIA strengths.

Results revealed that strengths use is a unique predictor of subjective well-being, but not HRQOL.

The VIA strengths of hope and zest were significant positive predictors of life satisfaction.

The most commonly-endorsed VIA strengths were:

- love
- humor
- kindness
- social intelligence
- open-mindedness.

The least-endorsed VIA strengths were:

- leadership
- perseverance
- wisdom
- spirituality
- self-control

The results suggest a link between VIA strengths and subjective well-being.

References:
Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life. Journal Journal of Happiness Studies, 2010.

Image source: OpenClipArt.org.

Collective patient data has power to comfort, explain and predict - TED video

"When Jamie Heywood's brother was diagnosed with ALS, he devoted his life to fighting the disease as well. The Heywood brothers built an ingenious website where people share and track data on their illnesses -- and they discovered that the collective data had enormous power to comfort, explain and predict." TED Talks.