The grateful life may be a longer one
Can a positive attitude save your life? There’s not conclusive evidence, but hints are tantalizing enough that researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are trying to find out. “A lot of the long-term research says if you’re an optimist, you’re more likely to have better health,” says Jeff Huffman, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of MGH’s Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program. “Let’s say you’re not an optimist — can we turn you into one? Can we promote that and teach that in a durable way? [And] will it really work [to improve health]? It’s a big and open question.” The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to change behavior, such as goal-setting, to encourage patients to adhere to medication regimens, improve their diets, and become more active. The best chance for a positive outlook...