WP156 – (Poor) eudaimonic subjective wellbeing as a mortality risk factor: a cross-country analysis

Working Paper n.156 a cura di Bachelet Maria, Becchetti Leonardo, Pisani Fabio dell’Università di Roma Tor Vergata

Abstract

We investigate the nexus between poverty of sense of life (a dimension of eudaimonic subjective wellbeing) and mortality in a large sample of individuals from several European countries.

We find that poverty of sense of life is significantly and positively correlated with mortality net of the impact of socio-demographic factors, life styles, symptoms and even life and health satisfaction controls.

We as well test whether the observed correlation is mainly explained by physiological factors or, as well, by behavioural factors such as unhealthy life styles and/or insufficient physical activity.

We finally show that our findings are not gender specific and, as expected, stronger on the elders in our sample.

Keywords: mortality, eudaimonic wellbeing, sense of life.

JEL Numbers: I12 Health Behavior; I31 General welfare, wellbeing.

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