Promoting Psychological Well-Being for Healthy Ageing Post Spousal Loss: Insights from India

Dhananjay W. Bansod, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Raghunath Mandi, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The death of a spouse is a critical event for the elderly, often resulting in changes to their overall health, psychosocial functioning, and mental outlook. Promoting healthy ageing is crucial in addressing these challenges, with psychological well-being playing a vital, yet often overlooked, role. This study investigates relationship between psychological well-being and healthy ageing among elderly widowed in India, aged 60 and above. We conceptualized healthy ageing using LASI data within the WHO’s functional ability framework and developed Healthy Ageing Index (HAI) through PCA. To assess psychological well-being (PWB), we employed both evaluative and hedonic approaches, measuring life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. The association between healthy ageing and psychological well-being was then analyzed using multiple linear regression. The mean HAI of study population was 87.9%, representing healthier elderly. Depressive symptoms, physical activity, age, religious participation, and work status significantly influence healthy ageing, with noticeable gender differences in some associations. Promoting psychological well-being among widowed elderly is crucial, given the unique cultural, social, and economic challenges they face, along with limited social support. Strengthening family ties, encouraging social engagement, and expanding access to mental health services through community-based programs and counselling are essential steps toward achieving healthy ageing society.

Keywords: Population Ageing

See paper.