USA: Being Old is No Less Happy Than Being Young

ANN ARBOR, Michigan (Agencies), June 18, 2006: Older people are, in fact, happier and more contented with life than their younger counterparts. These are findings of a recent study by researchers from VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan. The results of the study have been published in the June edition of Journal of Happiness Studies of the Netherlands. "Our stereotypes about aging being an unhappy time of life are not correct... you have a lot of good times left in front of you. We're probably better off expecting good things out of our futures," said Heather Pond Lacey, the lead author of the study. "In our culture, we think of old age as a time of helplessness, disability, loneliness and isolation, none of which are necessarily true." added Lacey. Under the study, Lacey and her team developed an online survey and quizzed 542 people of varying age groups and races how happy and content they were with their lives. The subjects were asked to rate their levels of happiness on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the happiest. Of the 542, 273 were between the ages of 21 and 40 years, while 269 fell in the 60 to 86 age group. Around 50 per cent of the respondents, which included African Americans and Hispanics, were females. An analysis of the results showed that the average level of happiness among those in the 21-40 group was 6.65 but among those between 60 and 86 was 7.32. Both groups, however, could not correctly gauge how happy the other group would be. "Not only do younger people believe that older people are less happy, but older people believe they and others must have been happier 'back then'. Neither belief is accurate'," said Lacey. Lacey said this wasn't the first study to show older was happier. Many studies have also shown that people accept their illnesses and miseries and learn to be happy in spite of odds. Copyright Journal of Happiness Studies Springer Netherlands