Högskolan i Skövde

Life satisfaction is a key aspect of subjective well-being (SWB) and is often referred to as an individual’s cognitive assessment of their overall life. Measured by tools such as the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), life satisfaction is crucial for reliably assessing SWB. It serves as a stable measure, reflecting long-term judgements of SWB - unlike affect measures that capture more short-term judgements influenced by situational variability. While the SWLS demonstrates internal consistency, the neural correlates of life satisfaction remain largely unknown, limiting our comprehension of SWB’s cognitive dimension. This systematic review aims to bridge the gap by comprehensively examining relevant literature, emphasizing resting-state neuroimaging studies. Despite methodological differences, the authors discovered relationships between brain structures and life satisfaction, revealing a spectrum of associations ranging from positive to negative, alongside correlations with varying strengths. These structures include the left SFG, bilateral MFG, frontoinsular cortex, and other areas correlated with microstructural connections, including the SPL, IPL and TPJ. Considering the novelty and limited establishment of this subject, ongoing research is crucial for uncovering the precise neural correlates of life satisfaction.