Newswise — A study was conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä (Finland), which observed differences in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction between contemporary 75- and 80-year-olds and their peers from the 1990s.
The findings indicated that contemporary 75- and 80-year-old individuals, both male and female, encounter reduced depressive symptoms in comparison to their peers from the 1990s at the same age. The dissimilarities were to some extent clarified by improved perceived health and greater education among the later-born population.
"During our prior assessments, we discovered that the elderly population of today exhibits markedly improved physical and cognitive capabilities than those of previous generations at the same age," remarks Professor Taina Rantanen of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. "These fresh findings supplement these optimistic outcomes concerning psychological wellness."
Presently, 75- and 80-year-olds are more content with their lives overall. Nevertheless, no such variation was apparent in their satisfaction with their present lives. In reality, men aged 80 who lived during the 1990s displayed greater satisfaction with their current lives in comparison to today's 80-year-old male counterparts.
According to postdoctoral researcher Tiia Kekäläinen, "These men, born in 1910, had endured arduous times, which could elucidate their contentment with their current lives during the 1990s, a period when many aspects had improved from before."
"People acclimate to their circumstances and surroundings. In both the 1990s and present times, most senior citizens reported being content with their current lives," explains the speaker.
The Gerontology Research Center and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland carried out the investigation. The first group was composed of 617 people born in 1910 and 1914 who participated in the Evergreen study in 1989-1990. The second group was made up of 794 individuals born between 1938-1939 and 1942-1943 who participated in the AGNES study in 2017-2018. In both groups, the participants were evaluated at the age of 75 or 80 years. The Academy of Finland and the European Research Council funded the research.
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