Katharina Buczek
According to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, older people today actually have better mental well-being than they did three decades ago.
The research specifically analyzed differences in life satisfaction and depressive symptoms among two groups: individuals who were between the ages of 75 and 80 in the 1990s, as well as individuals who are currently in the age range.
The results revealed that older men and women today are experiencing fewer depressing symptoms as compared to 75-year-olds and 80-year-olds about 30 years ago.
Higher education and better perception of health were able to partly explain these differences.
“In our previous comparisons, we found that older people today have significantly better physical and cognitive functioning at the same age compared to those born earlier,” explained Professor Taina Rantanen.
“These new results complement these positive findings in terms of mental well-being.
The research, which included two cohorts, was carried out at the University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center.
The first cohort included 617 individuals who participated in the Evergreen study from 1989 to 1990. These participants were born in 1910 and 1914.
The second cohort included 794 individuals who participated in the 2017-2018 AGNES study and were born from 1938 to 1939 or 1942 to 1943.
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