Women Happier Than Men

According to a new study from the University of Florida, women are happier than men, even though they suffer from anxiety and depression more than men do. And now researchers think they have found the answer. The University of Florida and the National Institutes of Health, Columbia University, Psychiatric Institute of New York State searched for a biological reason for the difference. They found a gene in both men and women that seems to work for females but not males.

In technical terms it was traced to a low form of monoamine oxidase A or MAOA. It’s a gene that’s been linked to alcoholism, aggression and antisocial behavior, so the findings surprised researchers.  Women with one copy of MAOA reported a higher level of happiness than with no copies, and women with two copies of the gene reported an even larger boost in happiness. The MAOA gene regulates activity in the brain, the same ‘feel good’ chemicals used in antidepressants.

Men on the other hand reported the same amount of happiness no matter if they had zero, one or two copies of the gene. Researchers believe the reason for this is men have a higher level of testosterone than women and which may cancel the positive effects of the gene.

According to researches a person’s happiness, to a larger degree, is shaped by their outlook on life and their circumstances,  rather than a gene.