Psychological well-being and happiness among Middle-aged women: A cross-sectional study

Biological, physical, and psychosocial changes that occur during the aging process can negatively impact women's mental health and happiness at midlife. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the level of psychological well-being and happiness among middle-aged women in Tabriz. Data were collected from December 2017 to February 2018 by face-to-face interviews, using structured questionnaires of happiness and psychological well-being. The participants were 40-60-year-old middle-aged women (n = 300) selected by clustered random sampling allocation. A total of 167 (55.7%) out of all the women had decreased levels of psychological well-being. Psychological well-being was found to be significantly lower among the women with low levels of happiness (B: 24.43, CI (18.57 to 30.29), p < 0.001). Health care centers should implement more comprehensive mental health promotion programs for middle-aged women, including free of charge recreational opportunities (e.g., walking, swimming, dancing) to improve psychological health and well-being.

Automated summary

The study found that over half of middle-aged women had decreased levels of psychological well-being, especially compared to those with low levels of happiness. It is recommended that healthcare centers implement more comprehensive mental health promotion programs, including providing free recreational activities to improve psychological well-being.