How 1 in 4 seniors regain happiness after suffering

How do seniors regain happiness? — Nearly a quarter of older adults regained their highest level of health within three years, even after suffering. Emotional health, physical activity, and good sleep were strong indicators of recovery. Credit: shutterstock

Nearly one in four adults aged 60 and older who initially reported poor well-being were able to regain a state of optimal well-being within three years, according to research published September 24, 2025, in One plus Written by Mabel Ho and Esme Fuller Thompson at the University of Toronto, Canada. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through actions such as maintaining a stable body weight, avoiding smoking, staying physically active, improving sleep, and preventing or managing chronic diseases. The study also emphasizes the role of mental, emotional and social health in overall quality of life.

Interest in understanding what motivates resilience and long-term well-being is growing. Many lifestyle choices can impact the ability to maintain good health and happiness, which is defined in this research as a combination of physical, psychological, emotional, social, and subjective well-being, even in the presence of chronic conditions. However, only a few studies have focused on what helps people recover or regain a strong sense of well-being later in life after facing difficulties.

Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, he and Fuller-Thompson analyzed 8,332 adults who did not initially meet criteria for optimal well-being and followed up with them three years later, when all participants were at least 60 years old.

They discovered that nearly a quarter of these participants had achieved optimal well-being by the end of that period. Those who did show signs of psychological and emotional wellness initially were nearly five times more likely to recover to full well-being than those who did not.

The likelihood of restoring well-being was also higher among participants who were younger (under 70), married, and with incomes above the poverty line. Better results were associated with physical activity, not smoking, good sleep, and avoiding chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis or osteoporosis.

Because all Canadian citizens and permanent residents have access to publicly funded health care, the researchers note that these findings may not apply to countries where medical care is based on ability to pay. They also warn that the results may not extend to low- and middle-income countries.

If future research proves that the associations observed in the current study are causal, policies and interventions that support self-rated physical, psychological, emotional, social, and well-being may help older adults regain optimal well-being. For example, programs and services can be provided to encourage older adults to engage in an active and healthy lifestyle, manage chronic conditions, and prevent social isolation. According to the authors, these interventions may play an important role in enhancing the resilience of older adults and enabling them to regain optimal well-being later in life.

“The powerful thing about this research is the reminder that later life can still be fulfilling, even after difficult periods. Good health is important, but so are the people, meaning and joy we have in our lives,” says first author Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) and the Life Course and Aging Institute.

“This is a clarion call to invest in prevention, financial stability, and accessible health supports — because these are not just smart policies, they can improve the trajectory of aging in struggling older adults,” says lead author Esme Fuller-Thompson, director of the Life Course and Aging Institute and professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor Inwentash School of Social Work.