Having a purpose could help you live longer. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago reviewed data on more than 1,200 older adults and found that those with a higher sense of purpose (as measured by a 10-item questionnaire) were less likely to die during an average follow-up of three years. Even after taking into account factors like depression, disability, income, and chronic medical conditions like diabetes, the association stood. The researchers suppose that older people who work toward goals—like seeing a grandchild graduate from college or something as simple as finishing the Harry Potter series—function better while aging, despite poor health. But they say more research is needed to pinpoint why purposeful people live longer.
Source: Psychosomatic Medicine, June 15, 2009