The Global Hobby Landscape – Its Impact on Wellbeing and Depression in Older Adults

A brand-new study led by UCL experts found that older folks (those aged 65 and above) who have hobbies tend to feel less sad and are happier. Apart from lesser depression in old people, they also report feeling healthier and more satisfied with life. These results hold true in 16 different countries spread across three continents.

Researchers published their study in the Nature Medicine journal, aimed at understanding if hobbies had the same positive effects, including lesser depression in old people in different countries. They gathered information from a whopping 93,263 people who were 65 years or older. These people were part of five long-term studies happening in places like England, Japan, the United States, China, and other European countries.

The big news? No matter where these older people lived, having a hobby made them feel better. The researchers studied this data for four to eight years and discovered that having a hobby led to less depression in people, and also made them happier and more content with life. While they could not say for sure if having a hobby directly caused these positive effects, the connection was strong.

Even after considering other factors like whether someone is in a relationship, employed, or has a certain income, the benefits of having a hobby remained.

So, it seems that having a hobby is a good thing for older people no matter where they live, with only minor differences between countries.

Lead author Dr Karen Mak (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care) said: “Our study shows the potential of hobbies to protect older people from age-related decline in mental health and wellbeing. This potential is consistent across many countries and cultural settings.

“Of the four outcomes, life satisfaction was most strongly linked to hobby engagement. Hobbies may contribute to life satisfaction in our later years through many mechanisms, including feeling in control of our minds and bodies, finding a purpose in life, and feeling competent in tackling daily issues.

“Theoretical work suggests the relationship between hobbies and wellbeing may cut both ways – that people with better mental health may be more likely to take up a hobby, and persisting with a hobby may help us to retain improved life satisfaction.

“Our research also supports policymakers in promoting access to hobbies among older people as a way to enhance their wellbeing and health.”

Hobbies, which are enjoyable activities people do in their free time, can include a wide range of things like volunteering, joining clubs, reading, gardening, playing games, and doing arts and crafts.

The researchers discovered that the number of people who said they had a hobby was quite different from one country to another. For example, in Spain, only 51% of the people they studied mentioned having a hobby, while in Denmark, a whopping 96% said they had a hobby. In Sweden, it was 95.8%, and in Switzerland, it was 94.4%. So, the interest in hobbies varied quite a bit depending on where people lived.

China had the least number of people engaged in hobbies, with only 37.6% participating. However, it’s important to note that in China, the study only asked about social hobbies, not hobbies in general.

In countries where people tend to live longer and are generally happier, more individuals said they had hobbies. Additionally, in these countries, the connection between feeling good and having a hobby was even more noticeable and significant.

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