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Friday, January 4, 2013

Triumphs of experience: the men of the Harvard Grant study

by George E. Vaillant
Human social and emotional development does not peak at age 30 but continues throughout one's life. A person's upbringing does not set them on an inescapable path toward a happy or unhappy life. These are two of the major findings of the Harvard Grant Study, which has surveyed the physical and mental health of an original cohort of 237 Harvard undergraduate men beginning in the late 1930s. Using case studies as illustrations, former director Vaillant (Aging Well) reviews the results of research investigating mental health, longevity, alcoholism, resilience, and spirituality over time. Especially interesting are his observations on the changing issues, methods, and priorities throughout the project's history. The Grant Study remains the longest ongoing longitudinal study of human development continuing to track survivors (68 of the original group were still living as of March 2012) as they approach 100 years.
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