Happiness as a Psychiatric Disorder

It is perhaps premature to attempt an exact definition of happiness. However, despite the fact that formal diagnostic criteria have yet to be agreed, it seems likely that happiness has affective, cognitive and behavioural components. Thus, happiness is usually characterised by a positive mood, sometimes described as 'elation' or 'joy', although this may be relatively absent in the milder happy states, sometimes termed 'contentment'. Argyle, in his review of the relevant empirical literature, ...