Flourishing in older adults: Some promising findings and a new mixed methods study

Joanna Chiang-Yu Chen; Marcus Yu Lung Chiu; Ching-Wen Cheng; Jerome Carson

doi:10.1921/swssr20252645

Authors

Joanna Chiang-Yu Chen University of Greater Manchester https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4155-474X
Marcus Yu Lung Chiu St Francis University Hong Kong / University of Greater Manchester https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6676-8886
Ching-Wen Cheng National Taiwan Normal University
Jerome Carson https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7596-116X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr20252645

Keywords:

older adults, COVID-19; United Kingdom, Taiwan, flourishing

Abstract

Abstract: As the British population ages, along with those of other advanced economic societies, there will be a greater need for health and social care for this group. Successive British governments have to some extent failed to tackle this demographic issue. All health and social care professions will have to devote more of their staffing resources to working with older adults and social work is no exception. A recent research study (Carson et al., 2020), looked at how British people in the North and the South of England (n = 1608), were functioning in the week of the first COVID-19 lockdown in England. While originally planned as a study of happiness, it was obvious that participants were very worried about the growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper we compare the findings from a group of Older participants (aged 60 to 87, n = 104), with a Younger cohort (aged 17 to 30, n = 673), on a range of measures. Older participants were seen to have significantly higher levels of Flourishing on three subscales from the PERMA Profiler. They had higher levels of Meaning and Personal Accomplishments, and lower levels of Negative Emotions. They were also found to have lower levels of Loneliness and less psychological distress. Age may have been an advantage going into the COVID-19 lockdown. We report on these findings and outline a new study of Older adults which aims to compare a large British and a Taiwanese sample. Do people in Britain have higher levels of Flourishing and less psychological distress than their Taiwanese counterparts? We also intend to look at the concept of anti-mattering. Do Older people in the UK feel they are listened to more and that their views matter to others more than their Taiwanese equivalents?

Author Biographies

Joanna Chiang-Yu Chen, University of Greater Manchester

Joanna Chen is a second-year PhD student at the University of Greater Manchester. Her major research interest is in positive psychology, with a particular focus on flourishing in older adults. E-mail: cc16eps@bolton.ac.uk Orcid: 0000-0003-4155-474X

Marcus Yu Lung Chiu, St Francis University Hong Kong / University of Greater Manchester

Marcus Yu Lung Chiu is a Research Professor of the Saint Francis University, Hong Kong, and a Visiting Professor of the University of Greater Manchester, UK. He was a mental health social worker by training and Marcus’ major research interests are stigma and help-seeking, mental health recovery, psychoeducation, and programme evaluation.
E-mail M.Chiu@greatermanchester.ac.uk. ORCID: 0000-0002-6676-8886

Ching-Wen Cheng, National Taiwan Normal University

Ching-Wen Cheng is Associate Professor at Graduate Institute of Social Work at National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan. Her research interests are mental health recovery, social support, adolescent and youth mental health, and stigma. E-mail: cwchangswk@ntnu.edu.tw; Orcid: 0000-0002-9132-3539

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