An Integrative Review of Experience of Well-Being and Happiness: Insights from Older Adults in the Community

Abstract

Well-being and happiness are the ultimate goals of older people. Having a good quality of life is very important for this age group, in which well-being can be predicted through life experiences. Research on the older adult group demonstrates that well-being is positively associated with happiness. In turn, happiness is linked with better coping, lower morbidity and lower mortality. Therefore, studying to understand this phenomenon, according to the experiences and perceptions of older adults, is the key to preparing for an aging society. The objective of this integrative review for nurses was to synthesize information from academic literature to provide insight into the experience and perception of well-being and happiness in older adults. The authors searched 5 databases - CINAHL, PUBMED, CLINICAL KEY, SCOPUS and SAGE journals - using the following key search terms: “(experience or perception or perspectives), AND (happiness or well-being), AND (older adults or elderly or late adulthood).” Only articles published between January 2010 and April 2020 were considered. The preferred reporting items for the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools were adopted for quality assessment. The authors finally selected 12 out of 651 references for integrative review. The results show that the key points of view associated with the well-being and happiness of older people consist of 3 important issues. The first issue includes the challenges and concerns about late life involving independence, life quality, fear of squandering free time, being left out, and having a good death. Second are the strategies for living a meaningful late life through doing regular daily activities, creating self-esteem, finding life satisfaction, engaging in subjectively perceived activities, being optimistic, relying on religious attachment, and setting life goals. The last issue includes resources and support for older adults to reach their goals, which are family support, social support, and religious support. A challenge for future research is how to create interventions that promote the independence that leads to freedom in late life.