People get happier as they age

Mental wellbeing increases as people age, contrary to popular belief.

New findings by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick revealed that although physical quality of life drops off, people become happier as they get older.

Quality of life was measures on eight different factors, including perception of general health, pain, social functioning and mental health.

The study included over 10,000 participants from both the UK and the US and showed that happiness follows a U shape line, reaching a low in the mid-40s.

"We suggest that this could be due to better coping abilities, an interpretation supported by previous research showing older people tend to have internal mechanisms to deal better with hardship or negative circumstances than those who are younger," said Dr Saverio Stranges, who led the study at Warwick Medical School.

The report also found that the mental health of people who are overweight or obese is similar to those of a healthy weight.

Read about support and personalised care at Barchester care homes for anyone with mental health concerns.