The distributional effects of adaption and anticipation to ill health on subjective wellbeing

•Adaption to illness differs markedly across the wellbeing distribution.•Negative illness effects are moderated over time at higher distributional points.•Illness persists in negatively affecting wellbeing at lower distributional points.•There is little evidence of anticipatory effects across the wellbeing distribution.

Adaption and anticipation to reported illness upon subjective wellbeing is analysed across the wellbeing distribution. Anticipation effects are muted, but substantial adaption effects are apparent that differ markedly over the range of wellbeing, being most evident at the upper quartile.