Well being on the up for the 50-plus

After 50, daily stress and worry take a dive and daily happiness increases, according to an analysis of more than 340,000 adults.

The research (A snapshot of the age distribution of psychological well-being in the United States) published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that young adults experience more negative emotions more frequently than those who are older.

Negative emotions, such as stress and anger, are similar in that they consistently decline with age, but worry holds steady until around 50, when it sharply drops, the study shows.

You can read a summary of the findings in this article.

The analysis is based on a Gallup phone survey of 340,847 adults, ages 18-85, which was compiled in 2008 as the first year of a 25-year effort to measure well-being in the USA.

I have just purchased the research paper and will have a read and comment in detail. In the interim it is worth having a look at the Gallup Healthways web site.

If you are trying to appeal to the older mind then by attempting to increase the feeling of well being you are pushing at an open door. Dick Stroud