Bristol research has key to happiness

Living with a partner and being in good health are key sources of happiness for both young men and women, according to research from the University of Bristol.

The study, carried out on 1,100 young adults aged 20-34 in Bristol, looked at how work and other factors, including relationships, health and home life, affect our happiness.

The key findings are that:

Living with a partner and having good health are key sources of happiness for both men and women.

People who are happy at work are more likely to be happy with life in general.

A sense of control over one's life is a crucial factor.

Job security is more important to men than women.

Income is an important factor in determining satisfaction about work for both men and women, but does not have a direct influence on life satisfaction.

Co-author of the report Dr Nabil Khattab, from the university's Department of Sociology, said: "One of the important findings of this study is that money is not what makes us feel happy or not, so that during times of economic recession where many people are losing their jobs, we would not anticipate a dramatic fall in the level of life satisfaction."