A study by American scientists revealed that the physical and cognitive abilities of people who answered for themselves the question of why they live are higher than those who are still looking for the meaning of life. They also get sick less. The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
A study conducted by scientists at the California Medical University, San Diego, showed that having meaning in life improves physical and mental health, while the process of finding meaning is associated with worries and poor health.
"When people find meaning in their lives, they become calmer and more content, and when they have no purpose in life and they are unsuccessfully looking for it, they experience much more stress," said research leader Dilip V in a university press release. Jeste, M. D., Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. - Many people think about the goal in life from a philosophical point of view, but understanding the meaning is associated with better health, well-being and longevity. Those who have meaning in life are happier and healthier than those who do not."
The baseline for the study was a three-year cross-sectional survey of 1,042 San Diego County, California residents aged 21 to 100 years. The state of the search for meaning was described by the words "I am looking for a goal or mission for my life", and the state when the meaning was found - "I have found a life that satisfies me."
Scientists found that in different age groups the percentage of people satisfied with their lives varied significantly. Their maximum number was among 60-year-olds.
“When you are young, say twenty years old, you are unsure of your career, life partner, and who you are as a person. You're looking for meaning in life, says Jest. - As you get to thirty, forty, fifty years, you develop a more stable relationship, maybe you are married and you have a career. The search decreases, and the meaningfulness of life increases."
“After 60 years, everything starts to change. People quit their jobs and start to lose their identity. They develop health problems, and their friends and relatives gradually pass away. They again begin to look for a new meaning in life, because the meaning they once had has changed."
However, within the age groups, the best indicators in physical and mental health were demonstrated by those who, at this stage of their life, decided for themselves the question of the meaning of life.
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Scientists believe that meaningfulness of existence is an important medical, clinically significant parameter that can be used to improve the condition of patients.
“We expect our results to serve as a basis for the development of new therapies,” says Awais Aftab, MD and first author of the article.
According to the authors, in the next stages of the study, they want to study how human conditions such as wisdom, loneliness and compassion affect health and longevity, as well as to find out whether biomarkers of stress and aging are associated with the search for meaning in life.