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I would assume that higher altitudes would have more intense winters that then result in people staying indoors and isolated for longer periods of time?

I would guess that altitude and longitude are not correlated globally (at least I don't know why they would be) but in the US I generally associate altitude with snow.

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Countries like Finland and Iceland are consistently in the top 5 of happiest countries in the world. Of course that has many non-related reasons, but the effect of intense winters can't be too bad.

Finland and Iceland also have some of the highest suicide rates in Europe. It seems that the correlation between happiness (or well-being) and suicide is complex.

Which makes sense: it can be isolating if everyone around you seems to be thriving and you aren't.

The definition of "happy" can vary greatly between countries. My understanding is that Finland's "happy" is more similar to the US's "content".

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