Summary

The Harvard Growth Study indicates that strong, satisfying relationships are the most significant factor for long-term health and happiness, outweighing money, fame, and IQ.

Abstract

The Harvard Growth Study, initiated in 1938 and expanded over the years, has provided evidence that close relationships are crucial for health and well-being. The study, which now includes the original participants' offspring, has found that relationship satisfaction at age 50 is a better predictor of physical health at age 80 than cholesterol levels. It emphasizes that self-care includes nurturing relationships, which are more important than factors like social class, IQ, or genes in determining long-term happiness and delaying mental and physical decline. The research, which also involved inner-city Boston residents, showed that warm relationships and lifestyle choices like not smoking and moderate alcohol use contribute to longer, healthier lives. The study's leaders advise maintaining the body as if it will be needed for a century, as the key to healthy aging is found in relationships, physical activity, and mature coping mechanisms.

Opinions

Robert Waldinger, the study's director, believes that tending to relationships is a form of self-care and is as important as taking care of one's body.
The study's researchers expanded the definition of self-care to include relationships, suggesting that self-respect is closely tied to how one cares for oneself, including emotionally.
George Valliant, a former head of the study, emphasizes that empathy and attachment, initially undervalued, are now recognized as the keystones of healthy aging.
The study's findings challenge the common pursuit of wealth and fame, suggesting that these do not guarantee happiness or health to the same extent as meaningful relationships.
The researchers imply that addressing physical pain is not just about medical intervention but also about emotional support from happy relationships, which can mitigate the impact of physical pain.
The study underscores the importance of education for inner-city men, as it correlates with healthier lifestyle choices.

How to Live a Happy Life Based on Long-Term Study from Harvard

Surprising evidenced-based support for what constitutes a fulfilling life

Findings from a Harvard University study demonstrate what is required to support health and well-being. My father, Nevitt Sanford, was an early researcher on the Harvard Growth Study in 1938. I grew up often hearing references to this research.

If you are looking for solid information about what counts in determining long-term health and peace of mind in later years, read on.

The Research

Researchers began tracking the health of 268 Harvard sophomores in 1938. Some participants went on to become successful businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and others ended up as schizophrenics or alcoholics.

The sample expanded to include the men’s offspring, who now number 1,300 and are in their 50s and 60s. The purpose was to find out how early-life experiences affect health and aging.

In the 1950s, the study expanded the research to include another group of 456 inner-city residents in Boston.

Findings

Over the years, the topics covered the participants’ health and their broader lives, including triumphs and failures in careers and marriage.

Some of the most critical findings were fascinating and surprising.

“The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships have a powerful influence on our health,” said Robert Waldinger, director of the study, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”

The study showed that more than money or fame, close relationships counted the most to ensure happiness.

I am pleased that the researchers expanded the definition of self-care to include relationships. In my view, self-care is the most significant indicator of self-respect.

Close connections shield people from problems and help delay mental and physical decline. These relationships are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.

These findings were valid for both the Harvard and Boston samples.

The study found that the level of satisfaction with relationships at age fifty was a better predictor of physical health than cholesterol levels. (The implication: better to work on your relationships than lose weight?)

The Best Predictor of a Happy Life

“It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.”

People who had happy marriages in their eighties reported that “Their mood did not suffer on the days when they had more physical pain. Those who had unhappy marriages felt both more emotional and physical pain. “

According to the study, those who had a longer life avoided smoking and using alcohol in excess. Researchers also found that those with strong social support experienced less mental deterioration as they aged.

Waldinger said those who kept warm relationships got to live longer and happier, and the loners often died earlier. “Loneliness kills,” he said. “It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism.”

Best Advice

I liked the finding that taking diligent care of yourself early in life could set yourself on a better course for aging. As one of the research leaders commented: “The best advice I can give is to take care of your body as though you were going to need it for ‘one hundred years,’ because you might.”

George Valliant, who headed the study from 1972 to 2004, said the biggest takeaway from the research was:

“When the study began, nobody cared about empathy or attachment. But the key to healthy aging is relationships, relationships, relationships.”

Valliant went on to note that six factors predicted healthy aging for Harvard men: physical activity, absence of alcohol abuse and smoking, having mature mechanisms to cope with life’s ups and downs, and enjoying both a healthy weight and a stable marriage.

For inner-city men, education was an additional factor. “The more education the inner-city men obtained,” wrote Vaillant, “the more likely they were to stop smoking, eat sensibly, and use alcohol in moderation.

There you have it. Solid support for virtuous living and self-care. Most strivers know the flight plan: live well by doing good and taking care of yourself. The remaining challenge is the implementation of the program.

In Sum

The most significant finding from a Harvard study on aging is that our relationships have a powerful influence on our health. As one of the research leaders commented: “The best advice I can give is to take care of your body as though you were going to need it for ‘one hundred years,’ because you might.”

George Valliant, who headed the study from 1972 until 2004, stated: “When the study began, nobody cared about empathy or attachment. But the key to healthy aging is relationships, relationships, relationships.”

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