University Of Chicago Study: Older People Happier Than Youth

July 14, 2008 8:04 a.m. EST

Chicago, IL (AHN) - A new University of Chicago study linked happiness with age, with older people apparently happier than the youth.

The findings are based on a study by Yang Yang, a researcher of the university's General Social Survey, in which 50,000 Americans have been interviewed since 1972 repeatedly to check trends, make comparisons and trace changes in responses over time.

Tom Smith, director of the General Social Survey, reportedly said the findings had results that were contrary to popular expectations.

Despite the health problems of older people, the study found that they have lesser financial, interpersonal and crime problems while it was the reverse for the youth who had better health, but had lots of other concerns in life.

Yang's findings support a previous study by Smith that those who worked beyond the retirement age had the highest level of job satisfaction, shattering the myth that the reason behind their extended employment was financial lack.

Smith explained that many people think of people working in their 60s and 70s as trapped in their jobs, but that most people who continue working like their jobs and continue to work because they enjoy doing so.