TORONTO, CANADA – A new Canadian study is offering a powerful message to older adults and those who care for them: it's never too late to bounce back. Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that nearly one in four older adults age 60 or older who reported poor well-being at the beginning of a national study —due to pain, health issues, low mood, or isolation—had regained optimal well-being within just three years.
"This isn't just a story of resilience—it's a roadmap for how we can help more older adults recover and thrive," says first author Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. "Our findings highlight the powerful role of modifiable lifestyle and psychosocial factors in shaping healthy aging trajectories."
The researchers defined optimal well-being as the absence of severe physical, cognitive, mental, or emotional conditions that interfere with daily functioning, combined with high levels of self-reported physical health, mental well-being, happiness, and overall life satisfaction.
The study focused exclusively on individuals who were in a state of suboptimal well-being at the outset. Their baseline health status was then compared to their condition after the three-year follow-up period to assess whether they had achieved optimal well-being.
The researchers sought to identify factors associated with the likelihood that these older adults would recover. Remarkably, individuals who reported strong psychological and emotional wellness at the outset were over five times more likely to achieve this very high bar of 'optimal well-being' than those who were struggling with psychological well-being at baseline.
Other baseline characteristics significantly associated with recovery included maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding insomnia, refraining from smoking, and participating in social activities.
"It's incredibly encouraging to see that with the right supports and lifestyle, many older adults can reclaim full health, happiness, and independence—even after serious health challenges," says Ho.
The study has important implications: Aging-related policies and programs are needed that prioritize whole-person wellness and acknowledge that recovery is not only possible, but common.
"Too often, the focus in aging research and geriatric practice is on decline and disability," says senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging and Professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. "Our findings disrupt that narrative. Older adults can and do bounce back—and we need to build systems that support recovery."
The study, published online this week in PLOS One, focused on 8,332 respondents who were 60 years or older at the time of follow-up.
"We want this study to reshape how society views aging," concluded Ho. "With the right environment, resources, and supports, older adults don't just survive after struggling with health or well-being issues— they thrive."
The study, titled "Reclaiming Wellness: Key Factors in Restoring Optimal Well-being in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging," drew on longitudinal data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The research analyzed participants from the baseline wave (2011–2015) and the first follow-up wave (2015–2018) to explore factors linked to successful aging.
