title: Revisiting the paradox of well-being: the importance of national context.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite age-related changes or declines in circumstances, health or income, many older people are able to maintain subjective well-being (SWB) in later life. This is known as the paradox of well-being. To date, much research has focused on either individual- (e.g., age, health, and income) or country-level (e.g., national wealth, inequality) differences in SWB. The present research investigates how these levels combine, and whether the paradox of well-being persists across different economic contexts.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research uses the 2008-2009 European Social Survey to test the multilevel hypothesis that economic circumstances, reflected by a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), affect the paradox of well-being, that is, the relationship between age and SWB. Analyses also account for other relevant psychological, individual, and country differences. Possible avenues by which GDP affects SWB are also explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The multilevel analysis revealed that GDP disproportionally affects the SWB of older people relative to younger people, and that the paradox of well-being is only observed in countries with higher GDP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings clarify the relationship between age and SWB by demonstrating that the paradox of well-being is conditional on the economic context. Implications for individual- and country-level strategies for successful aging are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Group Processes, School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury.
authors.forename: Hannah J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psychological Research and Social Intervention, Lisbon University Institute ISCTE-IUL, Portugal.
authors.forename: Christin-Melanie
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vauclair
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Group Processes, School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury. D.Abrams@kent.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Group Processes, School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bratt
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psychological Research and Social Intervention, Lisbon University Institute ISCTE-IUL, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sibila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psychological Research and Social Intervention, Lisbon University Institute ISCTE-IUL, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria-Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D059066:Gross Domestic Product / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: GDP; Multilevel analysis; Old age; Paradox of well-being; Subjective well-being.