UK personal wellbeing ‘improves among those in their 60s’

A new UK study has shown that people in their 60s generally experience an upturn in their overall wellbeing.

Data from the latest National Survey for Health and Development from the Medical Research Council (MRC) has indicated that on average, levels of wellbeing increased during people’s seventh decade of life, with one in five experiencing a substantial improvement in later life.

Participants were asked to rank a 14-item scale with five response categories to assess various aspects of their wellbeing, including feeling cheerful, confident, optimistic, useful and relaxed.

The responses given by individuals aged 69, compared to when they were between 60 and 64, indicated improvements over time across all 14 items that made up the scale. This is despite the fact that most study members reported at least one common chronic disease, such as arthritis or cancer.

Dr Mai Stafford, programme leader at the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London, said: "We hope this will allow us to pinpoint which common experiences may be linked to an improvement in wellbeing in later life."