Purpose in life predicts allostatic load ten years later

Area of Science:

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Health Psychology
• Longitudinal Studies

Background:

• A purposeful life is associated with improved mental and physical health outcomes, including longevity.
• This association may stem from the link between life purpose and the regulation of stress-response physiological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prospective associations between life purpose and allostatic load over a 10-year period.
• To explore the role of health locus of control in mediating this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey.
• Assessed life purpose and psychological covariates at baseline.
• Measured biomarkers of allostatic load at a 10-year follow-up.

Main Results:

• Greater life purpose predicted lower allostatic load at follow-up, independent of other psychological factors.
• Life purpose strongly predicted self-health locus of control, which partially mediated the purpose-allostatic load association.
• No mediation effect was observed for other-health locus of control.

Conclusions:

• Provides the first empirical evidence for long-term physiological correlates of life purpose.
• Supports self-health locus of control as a psychological mechanism linking life purpose to positive biological outcomes.