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

Abstract

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<b>-</b>year-old middle-aged women (<i>n</i><b> </b>=<b> </b>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), <i>p</i><b> </b><<b> </b>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.