Process of Happiness Promotion in Retired Taiwanese: A Mixed Methods Study

Purpose:

A growing awareness of the rapidly-increasing aged population in the world has led to growing attention on mental health in late life. Happiness has been emphasized as an important indicator of physical health. However, the influence of happiness on perceived health was unknown. The aims of this study was to examine the process of happiness promotion in retired people. 

Methods:

A mixed methods was applied. The 142 retired participants were recruited from social service center in Taipei, Taiwan from September to November 2011 in quantitative analysis. After 3-month psychosocial intervention, in-depth interview was applied among 5 retired participants who increased happiness scores significantly. A path analysis was applied to examine the relationships among happiness, perceived health, sense of coherence and family relationships and the content analysis was applied to interpret the qualitative results.

Results:

The results indicate that the happiness was positively-correlated with perceived health, sense of coherence and family relationships. Happiness has a direct influence on perceived health contributed by family relationships and sense of coherence. The family relationships influence happiness directly and indirectly by furnishing a sense of coherence.The qualitative analysis showed that the process of happiness promotion including 3 steps: motivation of change, retrieve of resources, broaden and build effect; when individuals build higher levels of happiness through positive broadening of their social connections, this results in positive family relationships and a good sense of coherence.

Conclusion:

The study found that happiness is promoted by good family relationships and a sense of coherence. Consequently, promotion of positive social connection and positive experience sharing may benefit family relationships and a sense of coherence, providing further higher levels of happiness and good health among retired older adults. In the care of retired older people, nurses need to assess their family relationships and a sense of coherence simultaneously. Nurses are able to facilitate family relationships positively affecting the sense of coherence, providing further higher levels of happiness and good health among retired adults.