Being content also promotes mental health, scientists found

Jan 21, 2014 15:17 GMT  ·  By
Being less happy about life makes seniors more likely to lose physical fitness, and experience declining mental healh
   Being less happy about life makes seniors more likely to lose physical fitness, and experience declining mental healh

The fact that happiness does wonders for the mental health of seniors has been known for quite some time, but a new study shows that being content may also contribute to improving physical function in this age group. The work is detailed in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

University College London (UCL) scientists found that people who reported enjoying life more at old age were more likely to walk faster and over lager distances daily than their peers who reported lower levels of satisfaction with their lives, PsychCentral reports.

These conclusions are based on an analysis of nearly 3,200 test subjects beyond the age of 60, all living in the United Kingdom. All participants were followed for a total of 8 years, and divided into groups based on their age – 60 to 69, 70 to 79 and beyond 80.

“The study shows that older people who are happier and enjoy life more show slower declines in physical function as they age. They are less likely to develop impairments in activities of daily living such as dressing or getting in or out of bed,” says the director of theInstitute of Epidemiology and Health Care at UCL, Andrew Steptoe, PhD.