The Ohsaki Study followed 43,391 Japanese adults for seven years. People who reported lacking ikigai had a multivariate-adjusted all-cause mortality hazard ratio of 1.5. Lack of ikigai associated with about 60% higher cardiovascular mortality risk (HR 1.6) and 90% higher risk from external causes (HR 1.9). Cancer mortality was not significantly elevated — suggesting protective effects tie more to heart health, stress, and behavior than cellular mutation.
Among adults 65+, possessing ikigai associated with 31% lower risk of functional disability and 36% lower risk of dementia over three years. Other analyses link purpose to inflammatory and cardiovascular buffering under life stressors.
Imai, Osada, and Nishimura developed the Ikigai-9 Scale in 2012. Fido and Kotera validated an English version in 2019: higher scores predicted greater mental wellbeing and lower depression (Cronbach’s α ≈ 0.88–0.90 across translations).
In high-stress fields such as IT and nursing, research frames ikigai as a personal resource that supports engagement and can reduce turnover intention or emotional exhaustion — a proactive buffer beyond workload reduction alone.
Ikigai-9 dimensions
| Dimension | Items (rate 1–5) |
|---|---|
| Emotions toward life | I often feel that I am happy; I have room in my mind; My life is mentally rich and fulfilled. |
| Attitudes toward the future | I would like to learn something new; I am interested in many things; I would like to develop myself. |
| Meaning of existence | I feel I am contributing to someone or society; My existence is needed; I believe I have some impact on someone. |