How 1 in 4 older adults regain happiness after struggling

Almost one in four adults aged 60 and older who initially reported poor well-being managed to regain a state of optimal well-being within three years, according to research published on September 24, 2025, in PLOS One by Mabel Ho and Esme Fuller-Thomson of the University of Toronto, Canada. The findings emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through actions such as keeping a stable body weight, avoiding smoking, staying physically active, improving sleep, and preventing or managing chronic illnesses. The study also underscores the role of psychological, emotional, and social wellness in overall quality of life.

Interest in understanding what drives resilience and long-term well-being is growing. Many lifestyle choices can influence the ability to maintain good health and happiness, defined in this research as a combination of physical, psychological, emotional, social, and self-rated well-being, even in the presence of chronic conditions. However, only a small number of studies have focused on what helps people recover or regain a strong sense of well-being later in life after experiencing difficulty.

Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, Ho and Fuller-Thomson analyzed 8,332 adults who did not initially meet the 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 one-quarter of these participants had achieved optimal well-being by the end of that period. Those who already showed signs of psychological and emotional wellness at the beginning were nearly five times more likely to recover full well-being than those who did not.

The likelihood of regaining well-being was also higher among participants who were younger (under 70 years old), married, and earning incomes above the poverty line. Better outcomes were linked to being physically active, not smoking, sleeping well, and avoiding chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, or osteoporosis.

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