Happiness at Older Agesknown from analyses of life- satisfaction at earlier stages
of life.^10 Economic circumstances play a part, although not a
dominant role, and retirement seems to have a positive impact
on well- being. Mental and physical ill health are both very
important. But at older ages, impairments in our capacity
to see, hear, and get around independently become increas-
ingly relevant. Unlike at earlier ages, physical ill health
play only a relatively small role in the determinants of life-
satisfaction, which may relate to acceptance and adaptation,
as declining health is “expected” as we age. Most striking is
the crucial role played by social activity and engagement:
loneliness stands out as the one factor that most negatively
affects life- satisfaction. The strong role played by depressive
symptoms is as expected, since depression is related to the
measure of life- satisfaction; nevertheless these results also
emphasize the importance of mental health in the well-
being of older adults. Social interactions and activities have
a range of positive consequences, such as coping ability, and
feeling respected and recognized. As mental health and so-
cial activity also relate to premature mortality, it is a priority
to focus on reducing social isolation and the management
of depression. Encouragingly, these are modifiable and mal-
leable factors. Among older people, targeting efforts at im-
proving mental well- being and increasing social connect-
edness and social support may provide the largest gains in
life- satisfaction.