Researchers have found a strong connection between exposure to environmental carcinogens and psychological distress with a decrease in happy life expectancy. This metric reflects the duration of emotional well-being an individual can expect to experience. The study suggests that implementing public health policies to minimize exposure to these harmful substances could result in longer and happier lives. While it would be ideal if maintaining a positive attitude was all it took to boost happiness, various factors beyond our control come into play.
A recent study, published in March in Environmental Research by researchers at Osaka University, highlights the adverse effects of environmental pollution on emotional well-being and overall lifespan.
The researchers introduced a risk assessment tool to gauge “happy life expectancy,” which denotes the period during which an individual enjoys positive emotional well-being. They also defined “Loss of happy life expectancy” (LHpLE) as the reduction in the duration of positive emotional experiences due to a decline in happiness and an increase in mortality.
The lead author of the study, Michio Murakami, mentioned, “Historically, the LHpLE indicator has been used to assess psychological distress and cancer risk associated with radiation exposure following events like the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station incident, among others. However, its application to evaluate the impact of cancer or exposure to environmental carcinogens on overall happiness has been lacking.”
To bridge this gap, a survey was conducted among Japanese individuals to establish average happiness levels based on age and gender and to investigate the influence of cancer on emotional well-being. The researchers employed the LHpLE indicator to analyze the potential risks linked to exposure to common environmental carcinogens in Japan and the impact of psychological distress, facilitating a comparison of different risk exposures.
Shuhei Nomura, a co-author, stated, “Our results were compelling. We observed no substantial decrease in emotional happiness among those with cancer, nor did we find a significant association between emotional well-being and cancer type, history, or stage. However, exposure to environmental carcinogens reduced lifespan emotional happiness by varying degrees – 0.0064 years for radon, 0.0026 years for arsenic, and 0.00086 years for fine particulate matter in the air due to increased mortality. The decline in emotional well-being was more pronounced in cases of psychological distress, resulting in a decrease in lifetime happiness by 0.97 years.”
Murakami concluded, “Our research underscores the adverse impact of carcinogen exposure and psychological distress on overall happiness throughout a lifetime.”
Given the significant influence of carcinogen exposure on emotional well-being over a lifetime, it is recommended that environmental regulations prioritize reducing exposure to these harmful substances. Integrating this knowledge into public health policies holds promise for promoting longer and happier lives.
