Harvard Study Of Adult Development
The Harvard Study of Adult Development and it’s focus on the fact that healthy relationships (and therefore healthy endings to relationships) are the biggest markers to a happy, healthy life
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is one of the world’s longest studies of adult life, spanning almost 80 years.
The study began in 1938 when scientists started tracking the health of 268 Harvard sophomores during the Great Depression, and aimed to reveal clues to leading healthy and happy lives. The surviving ‘Crimson men’ were followed for nearly 80 years, and researchers collected a wealth of diverse data on their physical and mental health.
The study made some interesting findings, which are particularly relevant for those of us who help couples navigate divorce:
- Embracing community helps us live longer and be happier;
- Our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships have a powerful influence on our health
- Taking care of our bodies is important, but tending to our relationships is a form of self-care too
- Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.
You can read more about the study here: Harvard Second Generation Study (adultdevelopmentstudy.org)
Author Name: Editor
Published content by The Divorce Surgery Editorial Team.
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