If you’ve been thinking about going back to college or learning a new skill, there could be some other benefits to doing so rather than just adding a few strings to your bow. According to a new study, people with a higher IQ are actually happier than those with a lower one.

Researchers at University College London have discovered that a lower IQ often leads to poor mental health, which can contribute to increased levels of unhappiness.

The boffins analysed the data of 6,870 participants in a survey which measured their IQ and asked them to rate their happiness on a three-point scale of ‘very happy,’ ‘fairly happy’ and ‘not too happy.’

Survey participants who were in the lowest IQ range of 77-99 reported the lowest levels of happiness within their own lives, compared to the participants who were in the highest IQ range of 120-129.

“When looking at the data we saw that people with a lower IQ were less likely to be happier because of higher levels of socio-economic disadvantages such as lower income,” said Dr Angela Hassiotis, who led the study.

“They are also less likely to be happy because they need more help with skills of daily living, have poorer health and report more symptoms of psychological distress,” she added.

Some scientists believe that you can change your IQ level over time.

Researchers have said that efforts to improve education and reduce unemployment among people with a lower IQ could improve their happiness in the long run.

There is some good news though. While the topic is still being hotly debated in the scientific world, there is proof that people can raise their IQ levels through education and learning new skills. So if you want to give your cleverness a boost, why not try learning a new language or taking a class in something that you enjoy?

Personally we feel that a lot of things contribute to happiness and that it’s all about looking after yourself, doing the things you love and spending time with the people you love, regardless of how smart you are on paper. What do you think?