Young older adults at risk of not having a good later life and the implications for mental health and wellbeing: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Author(s): Paola Zaninotto, Andrew Steptoe

We identified risk categories of not having a good later life among young older people and reported the consequences that being in these groups have on mental health and wellbeing. 3,511 participants aged 50 to 69 from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) provided data on 10 domains of a good later life. The domains were then entered into a model to identify risk groups using Latent Class Analysis. Regression models were used to assess the association between identified risk groups and depression, life satisfaction, loneliness and wellbeing. We found that 20% of individuals were in the “high” risk group for not having a good later life. These people were more likely to report depression, loneliness, lower life satisfaction and lower wellbeing than those in the low risk group. Being at risk of not having a good later life has important consequences for mental health and wellbeing. Appropriate support and services should be in place to ensure that everyone is able to live longer in good mental health.