Results of classes aimed to raise mental wellbeing have surprised Oxford University researchers after results showed staggering improvements.
An eight-week-long course run by charity Action for Happiness uses scientific principles to teach people about 10 keys to a happier life.
With over 175,000 participants in the course across 19 different countries, the course has grown in popularity, according to the BBC.
"I think it's easily from something like five to eight or nine. It's really a huge difference. It's definitely a significant difference," one participant replied when asked how much his wellbeing had improved, on a scale of one to 10.
The course attracted the attention of Oxford University researchers, who conducted a study to see if it really does work.
In a randomised controlled trial, the researchers monitored both groups' life satisfaction over the eight weeks.
The results were staggering: Those who took part in the study saw a one-point increase across a 10-point scale.
It was an improvement in overall happiness well above the impact of starting a new job or finding a new partner.
"People who start the course's rise is really rather incredible," Oxford professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve told the BBC. "It's also rather staggering - even more than I would have expected. This is one of the ways to work with communities directly to try and raise wellbeing across our society."
The study showed even after the course, the participants found their overall happiness had remained somewhat consistent. The other controlled group also recorded an improvement to their wellbeing once they joined the course.
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