People ‘get happier as they age

....according to a review of the available studies on emotions and ageing. Dr Laura Carstensen, a psychology professor at Stanford University found that mental well-being generally improved with age, except for people with dementia-related ill health.

She asked volunteers ranging in age from 18 to mid-90s to take part in various experiments and keep diaries of their emotional state.

She found the older people were far less likely than the younger to experience persistent negative moods and were more resilient to hearing personal criticism.

They were also much better at controlling and balancing their emotions - a skill that appeared to improve the older they became. It would appear that older people are increasingly aware that the time they have left in life is growing shorter.

“They want to make the best of it so they avoid engaging in situations that will make them unhappy.

“They have also had more time to learn and understand the intentions of others which helps them to avoid these stressful situations.”