The association held after adjustment for depression, income and baseline chronic disease, suggesting purpose is not merely a proxy for mood.
Purpose as a vital sign
Measuring why people get up in the morning — and what it predicts.
Finding
Higher scores on a four-item purpose scale were associated with 19% lower all-cause mortality over 11 years.
References
- JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(5):e2614088.