* Home * My Feed * Saved The Telegraph (BUTTON) * News * Politics * World * Sport * Technology * Business * Money * Opinion * Obituaries * Travel * Culture * Lifestyle * Women * Family * Health and Fitness * Fashion * Luxury * Cars * Free Mobile App * Jobs * Financial Solutions * Rewards * Events * Dating * Offers * Shop * Garden Shop * Bookshop * Tickets * Puzzles * Fantasy Football * Voucher Codes * Work at The Telegraph * Telegraph Corporate * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe now * My Account My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe - 30 days free * Login * Register * Search * Video * Rewards * My Account My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph * Home * News * Sport * Business (BUTTON) ALL SECTIONS * News * UK * World * Politics * Science * Education * Health * Brexit * Royals * Investigations * Matt * Front Bench newsletter (BUTTON) More * Telegraph * News Finding love makes you happier than a pay rise, study finds * * * * Save Finding a partner is one of the key life changes to make you happy, a study found Finding a partner is one of the key life changes to make you happy, a study found * Hannah Furness 12 December 2016 • 12:01am (BUTTON) Follow Follow the author of this article * Hannah Furness Follow the topics within this article * Happiness * Health * Mental health * Depression * Anxiety Jane Austen famously wrote that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Her words, as ever, have proved ahead of her time, as a new study reveals having a partner has a greater impact on happiness than getting a pay rise. Finding love and enjoying good mental health are by far the most important keys to a happy life, a study by the London School of Economics has found. Both factors were found to be more significant contributors to an individual's overall contentment than economic factors, including doubling one’s salary, according to analysis by the LSE. A pay rise will only do so much to improve your mood A pay rise will only do so much to improve your mood The study was based on several international surveys which asked 200,000 people around the globe to determine how different factors had an impact on their wellbeing. The investigation found that doubling a person's income raised their happiness by under 0.2 points, on a scale of 0-10. It suggested individuals care largely about their income relative to other people, so general increases in income have very small impacts on the overall happiness of the people. Conversely, unemployment reduces the happiness of each unemployed person by about 0.7 points on average, further creating “fear and unease among those in work” and affecting the whole community. Mental health is the biggest single predictor of individual happiness. Television shows like First Dates may boost happiness by pairing people off Television shows like First Dates may boost happiness by pairing people off The study found suffering from depression or anxiety disorders is more common than unemployment and it also reduces happiness by 0.7 points. Having a partner also raises happiness by 0.6 points, and losing a partner by separation or death reduces happiness by a roughly equal amount, the study found. “People need to be needed, and to be in meaningful relationships,” authors said. The findings, researchers suggests could go on influence how governments treat their voters, with a shift in emphasis likely to produce better outcomes for happiness. Unemployment had a negative effect on the happiness of the whole community Unemployment had a negative effect on the happiness of the whole community “Happiness is hugely affected by the ethos of a society, which affects everyone in it,” the report found. “For example, happiness is higher in societies where people trust each other. If those who trust others rises from 0 per cent to 100 per cent, happiness rises by 1 whole point. “Freedom is also a crucial determinant of happiness. So no-one who favours happiness should favour a totalitarian state.” Richard Layard, co-author of the report, said: "'The evidence shows that the things that matter most for our happiness and for our misery are our social relationships and our mental and physical health. Feeling depression or anxiety, not unsurprisingly, was found to have a negative effect on wellbeing Feeling depression or anxiety, not unsurprisingly, was found to have a negative effect on wellbeing “This demands a new role for the state - not 'wealth creation' but 'wellbeing creation'. "In the past, the state has successively taken on poverty, unemployment, education and physical health. But equally important now are domestic violence, alcoholism, depression and anxiety conditions, alienated youth, exam-mania and much else. These should become centre stage." The findings will be discussed at a conference on wellbeing at the LSE on December 12 and 13, co-organised with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other leading institutions. * * * * Follow Telegraph News * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Twitter * Follow on Instagram READ MORE ABOUT: * Happiness * Health * Mental health * Depression * Anxiety * Show more Follow Telegraph News * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Twitter * Follow on Instagram IFRAME: https://widgethost.barnebys.com/widgets/28/?w=300&h=460 News latest 1. Zizzi will source its mozzarella from Wales 21 Dec 2018, 12:28pm Zizzi and Ask Italian begin using Welsh mozzarella rather than Italian amid fears of food shortages over Brexit 2. 01:19 Live: 21 Dec 2018, 12:22pm Live Gatwick reopens as military equipment is deployed to stop further drone disruption - latest news 3. 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