Is the improved economy really making us happier?

With Christmas coming there seems to be a return to consumerism – that’s all we need to make us happy. But, are we missing the trick? asks Fergus Finlay

So, are you happy? Optimistic, even? And if you are, why? Is it all about economics, the sign of an upturn, the hope of a better – or even more stable, medium-term future? A little more in the bank balance, a little more certainty in the job, the possibility of trading in the car for a newer model, maybe even the chance of a bit of a splurge in the shops for Christmas?

According to the news, these are the things that should be turning us all on. The headline in one newspaper this weekend was “A New Dawn”, and the story outlined the results of an opinion poll indicating that we are all much more optimistic about the future than we have been since the start of the recession.