Understanding the Psychology, Genetics, and Neurobiology of Happiness with Clinical Implications

This article examines contested definitions of happiness, ranging from Freudian notions of unalloyed pleasure to more expansive ideas of satisfaction and contentment. More particularly, it considers how these approaches are interpreted through the specific disciplinary lenses of psychology, neurobiology, and genetics. It shows how, within each, there are disputes and areas of uncertainty, and it delineates the clinical implications of these approaches' largely siloed research agendas. By way of advancing such research agendas, it explores possibilities for how these approaches may, in combination, contribute to raising an individual's "set-point" of happiness, permitting greater life satisfaction notwithstanding trauma and disappointment. In this regard, it examines the psychological and physiological bases of resilience, as well as everyday activities that promote happiness. It highlights recent research demonstrating that happiness increases an individual's health and longevity. Finally, it looks at how psychodynamic psychiatrists can integrate an understanding of happiness into their practices, thereby increasing patients' ability to develop habits that promote happiness.