A fair question about any wellbeing finding: does it only hold for certain people? On optimism and longevity, the research says otherwise.

What the data show

A study of more than 159,000 women found that optimism was associated with longer life across racial and ethnic groups, including Black, Hispanic/Latina, and White women (Koga et al., 2022). Optimism is not about where you come from — it is about how you relate to the future, and that relationship appears broadly human.

This article is for education and general wellbeing. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not replace your physician. mindspan is a wellness screen, not a diagnostic test.