Happiness may be fifty percent genetic

      Researchers at Tel Aviv University suggest that happiness may be in our genes. Professor Yoram Barak of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine is trying to find the happiness gene, which he says may be fifty percent responsible for happiness and a positive outlook. Happiness is not always easy to come by. For those without a genetic predisposition, finding happiness may be even more difficult.

Professor Barak and colleagues presented their happiness research, conducted on twins, at The World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Montreal, Canada in 2008. The studies were detailed, April 2009, in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. "If something is genetic, it should have a large concordance among twins," he says. "And the twin studies we are looking at show that 50% of happiness is genetically determined."

But until scientists find a way to genetically engineer happiness, Dr. Barak is also dedicated to the study of positive psychology to improve the fifty percent of happiness that is not genetic. Positive psychology is a growing area of interest worldwide. His work is geared toward "practical and intervention oriented research and the application of psychology into medicine,." in helping patients find happiness.

Barak's program has explored the benefits of positive psychology for promoting happiness in patients with neurologic disorders. "We were able to raise levels of happiness in these patients so they were just about equal to those of healthy subjects," he says. "If we can apply positive psychology, we can better their adherence to their treatment regime. And we have been able to show that there is a stabilization of the neurological disability as well."

The happiness gene seems to be real, but there is nothing we can do if we do not have it - at least yet. Healthy people can benefit from positive psychology, as well as those faced with illness. Happiness exercises can lead to better overall health, and help us live longer. In the meantime, Dr. Barak and his team are pursuing the happiness gene.

Source: http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9893

 Shawn Achor from Harvard University speaks on  Positive Psychology and Happiness:

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