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Unhappiness and age.
1Dartmouth College, Stirling, NBER, Bloomberg and GLO, Silsby Hall, Hanover, NH 03755-3514, United States.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
|May 1, 2020
Summary
Unhappiness shows a U-shaped curve with age, peaking around age 49. This pattern holds across various measures of unhappiness and diverse global populations, indicating a common life course trajectory.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Understanding the relationship between age and well-being is crucial for public health initiatives.
- Previous research suggests varying patterns of happiness across the lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the age-related trajectory of unhappiness using a large-scale, international dataset.
- To identify the specific age at which unhappiness is most prevalent.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of eight well-being datasets comprising nearly 14 million respondents.
- Utilized twenty distinct measures of unhappiness and a general attitudinal question on national conditions.
- Employed statistical controls for time and country.
Main Results:
- A consistent hill-shaped (U-shaped) relationship between unhappiness and age was observed across all measures.
- The average age of maximum unhappiness was found to be 49, irrespective of controls.
- This pattern persisted even with limited controls for time and country.
Conclusions:
- Unhappiness follows a distinct curve across the human lifespan, with a peak in middle age.
- The findings suggest a universal pattern in the age distribution of unhappiness.
- The study highlights the importance of age as a factor in mental well-being and societal conditions.
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