The new study was a longitudinal study, where people’s happiness was measured over time, meaning they were able to see how they change as they get older, he added.
Advertisement
“We want people to be happier so that they have an easier life trajectory”, she said.
Psychology professor Nancy Galambos – author of the study – says it’s crucial information, because happiness is associated with life span and overall well-being.
A new study conducted by University of Alberta researchers aims to answer the question.
For about 50 years now, research is mostly hinged on the idea of happiness on a U-shaped curve, marked by a low point that came to be known as the midlife crisis.
Hence, previous studies that found a decline in happiness from the mid-20s to middle age have been dismissed.
The study tracked a group of Edmonton high schools students for 25 years and another group of graduating university students for 14.
The results showed that after leaving high school and university, happiness levels increased right through to the 30s in both samples, showing that happiness is not only for the young.
After accounting for variations in participants’ lives, such as changes in their relationships and employment, there was still a rise in happiness after high school and university in both groups, report the researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada.
Today, the “mid-life crisis” is a generally accepted phenomenon, a theme for songs and sitcoms and the subject of advertising propaganda the world over.
Instead, Lachman noted that crises are triggered by an event – may it be a loved one’s death, a career setback, or a sudden illness – can occur at any age.
However there are other factors that can influence happiness levels such as marital status, unemployment, and physical health, and levels of happiness can differ in different individuals based on these factors.
Advertisement
‘And also they cost less to the health system, and society’.
