Hedonic adaptation to a treatment. Evidence from a medical intervention

We investigate adaptation of subjective well-being using a randomized controlled trial. We find that providing medical equipment to a random sample of Ugandan adults with lower limb disabilities has a positive effect on their physical health, using both objective and self-reported measures. Treated patients experience a significant improvement in life satisfaction initially, but the effect is not prolonged. After one year, life satisfaction returns to the pre-treatment level, supporting the hypothesis of adaptation. This evidence of adaptation is supported by observations of changes in aspirations and expectations and is robust to alternative estimation methods including instrumental variable estimation and ITT analysis.