Who are happier, people with kids or the ones who don’t have? This question has always been common and talked about. No doubt having children is a good idea but recently a study proved that parents are cheerier later in life, when their little ones grow up and move out. The major reason behind this is once the child turns into an adult he becomes responsible and also a source of social enjoyment rather than stress.
A team of researchers at Heidelberg University in Germany did a survey on this aspect and came out with surprising result. The older research suggested that parenthood, social networks and marital status affect the well-being and mental health of older people and this latest study looks at the effects of family status.
Scientists asked 55,000 people of 50 years old from 16 European countries about their mental well-being, and results suggest “the positive aspects of parenthood dominate when getting older.”
The result also suggested that the finding of a negative link between children and well-being and mental health may not generalize to older people whose children have often left home already.
One of a researcher Christoph Becker, also revealed that it’s important to have a social network but not from children. There are many other ways also to get connected with the outside World.
Older people without children could get similar benefits from other close social connections with whom they can share issues and problems, he added.
“Literature has also suggested that there might be U-shaped connection between age and happiness as people become less happy in middle age, but more happy in older age,” said Becker.
