title: Multidimensional psychosocial profiles in the elderly and happiness: a cluster-based identification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence supports that subjective well-being (SWB) diminishes in the old age and that this decline is strongly determined by elders' psychosocial resources. This study explored person-centred, multidimensional, empirically-derived profiles of psychosocial functioning in the elderly and related each trajectory to differing configurations of SWB.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based, convenience sample of Spanish institutionalised and non-institutionalised elders voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cluster analysis produced three within-person psychosocial profiles characterised by distinct patterns of functioning: highly successful elders demonstrated to be healthy, highly confident in their own resources and very active in daily life; moderately successful elders demonstrated average functioning across domains, although they expected decreases in the future; and highly impaired elders were ill and stressed, at a high risk for future health problems and depression, and tried to compensate for their status mainly through social support. Each of these profiles was related differently to SWB configurations: highly successful elders demonstrated significantly higher happiness, positive affect, affect balance and life satisfaction; moderately successful elders showed average levels of SWB but decreased positive affect; and highly impaired elders demonstrated dramatically lower SWB. Furthermore, such trajectories were associated with the elders' living condition. The happiest elders were more likely to be home-dwelling elders; however, there were fewer unhappy elders among those who were institutionalised.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A person-centred approach to assessing psychosocial and SWB configurations provides a rich picture of individual differences in the ageing processes and can help in designing interventions aimed at enhancing happiness in old age.
authors.affiliation: a Grupo de investigación Psicología de la Salud y Medicina Conductual (Health Psychology & Behavioural Medicine) (CTS-267), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Granada , Granada , Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel Lara
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Godoy-Izquierdo
authors.forename: M Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vázquez Pérez
authors.forename: Ana Padial
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Araque Serrano
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Godoy García
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction