A purpose for a long life

New research suggests that having a sense of purpose can add years to life, regardless of what that purpose is.

Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, in New York tracked the physical and mental health of more than 7,000 U.S. adults ages 20 to 75, according to BBC News. The participants’ purpose in life was assessed by the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with these statements: Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them; I live life one day at a time and don’t really think about the future; I sometimes feel as if I’ve done all there is to do in life.

The researchers followed up 14 years later, finding the purposeful people had outlived their counterparts, even when controlling for other factors such as negative mood, and that the added years did not depend on the person’s age or if they had retired from work.