Finding your purpose, preserving your health

30. March 2010 by Teresa.

    Earlier this month, Science Daily reported that having a greater purpose in life was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry (an American Medical Association journal). The biological basis for the association was said to be unknown. However, the report noted that it may result from the positive effects purpose of life is reported to have on immune function and blood vessel health.

This aligns with a study performed earlier last year at Rush University Medical Center, which concluded that having a higher purpose in life reduces risk of death among older adults (Science Daily, June 2009) - regardless of age, gender, education and race. The finding held even once the researchers controlled for depressive symptoms, disability, neuroticism, number of medical conditions, and income.

“Purpose in life” was defined by the researchers in both studies as “the psychological tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and to possess a sense of intentionality and goal directedness that guides behavior.” In other words, those that had a reason to get out of bed in the morning, stayed healthier. The trick of course, is finding just those things that will offer peace, comfort, a sense of utility, a connection with others, and a sense of doing something very necessary and worthwhile (Johnson, 2001).

Richard Johnson in his book The New Retirement and Thomas More in Care of the Soul remind us that without life meaning we lose our way in life; that those who suffer from meaning deprivation starve their souls. Busyness is only a trivial diversion from a clearly identified purpose; it is a popcorn and cotton candy diet for a body that needs its fruits and vegetables.

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