The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing
Major life events affect our wellbeing. However the comparative impact of different events, which often co-occur, has not been systematically evaluated, or studies assumed that the impacts are equivalent in both amplitude and duration, that different wellbeing domains are equally affected, and that...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-04-01
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| Series: | SSM: Population Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827319302204 |
| _version_ | 1818037047722508288 |
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| author | Nathan Kettlewell Richard W. Morris Nick Ho Deborah A. Cobb-Clark Sally Cripps Nick Glozier |
| author_facet | Nathan Kettlewell Richard W. Morris Nick Ho Deborah A. Cobb-Clark Sally Cripps Nick Glozier |
| author_sort | Nathan Kettlewell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Major life events affect our wellbeing. However the comparative impact of different events, which often co-occur, has not been systematically evaluated, or studies assumed that the impacts are equivalent in both amplitude and duration, that different wellbeing domains are equally affected, and that individuals exhibit hedonic adaptation. We evaluated the individual and conditional impact of eighteen major life-events, and compared their effects on affective and cognitive wellbeing in a large population-based cohort using fixed-effect regression models assessing within person change. Several commonly cited events had little, if any, independent effect on wellbeing (promotion, being fired, friends passing), whilst others had profound impacts regardless of co-occurring events (e.g., financial loss, death of partner, childbirth). No life events had overall positive effects on both types of wellbeing, but separation, injury/illnesses and monetary losses caused negative impacts on both, which did not display hedonic adaptation. Affective hedonic adaptation to all positive events occurred by two years but monetary gains and retirement had ongoing benefits on cognitive wellbeing. Marriage, retirement and childbirth had positive effects on cognitive wellbeing but no overall effect on affective wellbeing, whilst moving home was associated with a negative effect on cognitive wellbeing but no affective wellbeing response. Describing the independent impact of different life events, and, for some, the differential affective and life satisfaction responses, and lack of hedonic adaptation people display, may help clinicians, economists and policy-makers, but individual's hopes for happiness from positive events appears misplaced. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:20:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aef1ba08487c44f2937d695cb8cf91ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-8273 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:20:38Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM: Population Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-aef1ba08487c44f2937d695cb8cf91ec2022-12-22T01:57:49ZengElsevierSSM: Population Health2352-82732020-04-0110The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeingNathan Kettlewell0Richard W. Morris1Nick Ho2Deborah A. Cobb-Clark3Sally Cripps4Nick Glozier5Economics Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney; ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia; Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn, Germany; Corresponding author. UTS Business School, Economics Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.Centre for Translational Data Science, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, AustraliaBrain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, AustraliaSchool of Economics, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia; Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn, GermanyCentre for Translational Data Science, University of Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCentral Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, AustraliaMajor life events affect our wellbeing. However the comparative impact of different events, which often co-occur, has not been systematically evaluated, or studies assumed that the impacts are equivalent in both amplitude and duration, that different wellbeing domains are equally affected, and that individuals exhibit hedonic adaptation. We evaluated the individual and conditional impact of eighteen major life-events, and compared their effects on affective and cognitive wellbeing in a large population-based cohort using fixed-effect regression models assessing within person change. Several commonly cited events had little, if any, independent effect on wellbeing (promotion, being fired, friends passing), whilst others had profound impacts regardless of co-occurring events (e.g., financial loss, death of partner, childbirth). No life events had overall positive effects on both types of wellbeing, but separation, injury/illnesses and monetary losses caused negative impacts on both, which did not display hedonic adaptation. Affective hedonic adaptation to all positive events occurred by two years but monetary gains and retirement had ongoing benefits on cognitive wellbeing. Marriage, retirement and childbirth had positive effects on cognitive wellbeing but no overall effect on affective wellbeing, whilst moving home was associated with a negative effect on cognitive wellbeing but no affective wellbeing response. Describing the independent impact of different life events, and, for some, the differential affective and life satisfaction responses, and lack of hedonic adaptation people display, may help clinicians, economists and policy-makers, but individual's hopes for happiness from positive events appears misplaced.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827319302204Life eventsAffective wellbeingCognitive wellbeingHedonic adaptation |
| spellingShingle | Nathan Kettlewell Richard W. Morris Nick Ho Deborah A. Cobb-Clark Sally Cripps Nick Glozier The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing SSM: Population Health Life events Affective wellbeing Cognitive wellbeing Hedonic adaptation |
| title | The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing |
| title_full | The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing |
| title_fullStr | The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing |
| title_full_unstemmed | The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing |
| title_short | The differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing |
| title_sort | differential impact of major life events on cognitive and affective wellbeing |
| topic | Life events Affective wellbeing Cognitive wellbeing Hedonic adaptation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827319302204 |
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