2023-09-14 13:12:00
Deploying the playful aspect in new interests generates well-being (Cuartoscuro.com)
(HealthDay News) – Older adults grab those knitting needles, some paintbrushes or that favorite novel, because new research suggests that having a hobby is linked to less depression in older people.
Hobbies might include everything from gardening to gaming, arts and crafts, volunteering, reading or being part of a club, according to the study, which spanned numerous countries and included more than 93,000 people aged 65 and older.
”Our study shows the potential of hobbies to protect older people from deterioration in their mental health and general well-being. “This potential is consistent across many countries and cultural contexts,” said lead author Karen Mak, from the Institute of Epidemiology and Healthcare at University College London. The data comes from people who enrolled in five studies in the United States, Japan, China, England and 12 other European countries.
Researchers analyzed data spanning four to eight years, finding that having a hobby was linked to decreased depressive symptoms and increased happiness and life satisfaction. Although this observational study mightn’t prove cause and effect, it suggests there might be an association between hobbies and happiness. The results held even following adjusting for other factors, such as marital status, employment and household income.
According to the World Health Organization, 5 percent of adults suffer from depression, and this condition places a significant burden on public health around the world (Gettyimages)
”Of the four outcomes, life satisfaction was most strongly linked to participation in hobbies. “Hobbies can contribute to life satisfaction in our later years through many mechanisms, including feeling control over our minds and bodies, finding purpose in life, and feeling competent when tackling daily problems,” Mak said in a statement from university press.” The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
“Theoretical work suggests that the relationship between hobbies and well-being may be bidirectional: people with better mental health may be more likely to adopt a hobby, and persisting with a hobby may help us maintain better life satisfaction,” he added. .
The proportion of people who reported having a hobby varied considerably between countries, with only 51% of study participants in Spain reporting having a hobby.
Experts highlight the importance of social connection in reducing the risk of depression and mental well-being (Getty Images)
This compared to an overwhelming 96% in Denmark, 95.8% in Sweden and 94.4% in Switzerland. China had the lowest level of people with hobbies, at 37.6%. However, the researchers cautioned that respondents in China were only asked regarding social hobbies, not hobbies in general.
More people reported having a hobby in countries with better life expectancy and higher levels of national happiness. The relationship between well-being and having a hobby was also stronger in those countries.
”Our research also supports policy makers promoting access to hobbies among older people as a way to improve their well-being and health,” Mak said.
More information The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information regarding being socially engaged in later life.
SOURCE: University College London, press release, September 11, 2023.
*Por Cara Murez. Health Day Reporters. Healthday Spanish
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