Demographic Variables and Flourishing Among Elderly: A Review

Abstract

Flourishing is a state of optimal mental well-being associated with the experience of doing and living well across all aspects of life, including psychological and social. Flourishing is important and beneficial throughout a life span including late adulthood. Yet, studies on flourishing among elderly especially from a heterogeneous culture such as Malaysia are still limited. Socio-demographic variables (such as age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, source of income and education attainment) can be key variables that contribute to flourishing among elderly. This paper reviews previous studies on this topic and found that ethnicity, marital status, income, and education attainment are significantly related to well-being and flourishing. The implications of the review on future research and practice are discussed.