While Baby Boomers
struggle with rising mortgages and kids who barely know their hard-working parents,
senior citizens are apparently having a ball.
About half U.S. residents in their late 80s report being very
happy, while the figure for younger age groups plummets to a third or less,
a new study finds. Another recent study found depression peaks at about age
44 around the globe.
But things are looking up for anyone planning to hang around:
Americans, at least, grow happier as they age.
The new study also found that baby boomers are not as content
as other generations in other eras. Other findings:
* African Americans are less happy than whites.
* Men are less happy than women.
* Happiness can rise and fall between depending on economics of an era.
* With age, the differences narrow.
"Understanding happiness is important to understanding
quality of life. The happiness measure is a guide to how well society is meeting
people’s needs," said lead researcher Yang Yang, assistant professor of
sociology at the University of Chicago. The study is published in the April
issue of the American Sociological Review.
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