Happiness Behind the Scenes: Associations between Heuristic Happiness and Related Dimensions in Skin Diseases

Positive health approaches, such as happiness, are largely unexplored in medicine, including dermatology. Taking into consideration the various happiness measures, the aims of this cross-sectional study were to assess this concept using a 1-item heuristic happiness question and its related dimensions (Satisfaction with Life, Positive and Negative Affect, Quality of Life, and Compound Psychological Capital) in outpatients with different skin diseases between December 2019 and June 2020, and to examine the link between these dimensions. Overall, 414 dermatological patients were included: 67 with psoriasis, 84 atopic eczema, 10 mastocytosis, 19 nummular eczema, 84 malignant melanoma and 150 keratinocyte carcinoma. Comparing the skin diseases, differences were observed for heuristic happiness, Positive Affect, and some domains of Quality of Life and Compound Psychological Capital. Analysing the relationship between heuristic happiness and other happiness measures, the data revealed moderate to strong correlations (r = 0.30–0.46, p< 0.001) and variations in the understanding of happiness between the skin diseases. Overall, the most important facet of happiness was Hope as a domain of Compound Psycho-logical Capital. This study emphasizes the individual definition of heuristic happiness in patients with skin diseases. A 1-item heuristic approach may be a simple and practical method to assess the complexity and individuality of happiness. SIGNIFICANCE Everyone has their own definition of happiness and associates different conditions with it. Consequently, there are multiple measures, including the 1-item heuristic happiness question (“Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are?”). The aims of this study were to assess 6 different happiness measures in patients with skin disease and to investigate the relationship between these measures. Differences in the happiness measures were observed, and the interpretation and associated conditions of happiness varied between different skin diseases. Hence, a 1-item happiness question may be a useful approach to reflect the individual understanding of happiness.