A systematic review of the strength of evidence for the most commonly recommended happiness strategies in mainstream media

Dunigan Folk () and Elizabeth Dunn
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Dunigan Folk: The University of British Columbia
Elizabeth Dunn: The University of British Columbia

Nature Human Behaviour, 2023, vol. 7, issue 10, 1697-1707

Abstract: Abstract We conducted a systematic review of the evidence underlying some of the most widely recommended strategies for increasing happiness. By coding media articles on happiness, we first identified the five most commonly recommended strategies: expressing gratitude, enhancing sociability, exercising, practising mindfulness/meditation and increasing nature exposure. Next, we conducted a systematic search of the published scientific literature. We identified well-powered, pre-registered experiments testing the effects of these strategies on any aspect of subjective wellbeing (that is, positive affect, negative affect and life satisfaction) in non-clinical samples. A total of 57 studies were included. Our review suggests that a strong scientific foundation is lacking for some of the most commonly recommended happiness strategies. As the effectiveness of these strategies remains an open question, there is an urgent need for well-powered, pre-registered studies investigating strategies for promoting happiness.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01651-4

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