This Is What Science Says About Optimism & Your Health

Optimism is more than a mindset — new studies suggest it may tangibly improve healthspan.

The glass-half-full people might be onto something after all. Optimism is more than a worldview. There’s mounting momentum behind the idea that an optimistic outlook may be a legitimate health factor. Most recently, a study published this year in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society contained a startling finding:

The more optimistic you are, the lower your likelihood of developing dementia in old age. Can you truly smile your way to sidestepping dementia? Maybe. But this paper is more than one point of data. The clinical case for optimism has been building for more than two decades.

What You Should Know About Optimism

Optimism is the belief that favorable outcomes are possible, that’s nothing new. It’s also not revelatory to suggest that your worldview can influence your behavior — what’s different here is the clinical backing. In fact, researchers have conducted long-term studies for decades to test the impact of optimism on real-world health outcomes.

The result? Consistent and clear: People who report higher scores on optimism scales tend to have better health outcomes across chronic disease, longevity, and mortality risk. 

Going Deeper on Optimism

Stenlund & colleagues looked at how optimism scores relate to developing dementia over a 14-year period.

• More than 9,000 participants were assessed eight times between 2006 and 2020.
• Every standard deviation increase in optimism was “associated with a lower hazard of developing dementia.”

Make no mistake: This study doesn’t say that being more optimistic cures dementia. The authors emphasized how this finding might contribute to preventative care for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, which are particularly insidious once symptoms begin to escalate. 

While compelling, the Stenlund team’s findings aren’t the first of its kind. Several other papers have drawn links between looking on the bright side and actually living there:

• 2004: In a 9-year study of nearly 1,000 older adults, optimists had much lower all-cause mortality — and their cardiovascular mortality risk was especially low.
• 2009: Optimists have lower cardiovascular mortality risk.
• 2017: High optimism is associated with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.
• 2019: There’s a positive correlation between optimism and extended lifespan.
• 2022: Lifestyle factors are only part of the puzzle on optimism’s tangible effects.

The Takeaway

Optimism consistently bolsters your odds of a better quality of life — tangibly, not conceptually. Studies show optimists live longer, better, and suffer fewer chronic diseases. 

It may be tempting to look at the relationship from the other side: People with an optimistic outlook are more likely to engage in health-conscious behaviors, sure. But the 2022 paper splashes cold water on that being the only reason. 

Bottom Line

There’s more going on here, but you don’t have to wait for the lab coats to figure it out to start reaping the benefits. Worth remembering: these are observational studies, so they show optimism and better health traveling together, not proof that one causes the other. But adopting an optimistic outlook is something you can start working on today, whether on your own or by taking a mindset course.