“Inner Peace is the Good Life’’: Conceptualizations of Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults Aged 60 and Over in Rural Northern Ghana

Mark A. Aviisah (), Hinke H. Haisma, Francis B. Zotor and Tobias C. Vogt
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Mark A. Aviisah: University of Groningen
Hinke H. Haisma: University of Groningen
Francis B. Zotor: University of Health and Allied Sciences
Tobias C. Vogt: University of Groningen

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2025, vol. 26, issue 5, No 11, 22 pages

Abstract: Abstract Improving well-being has increasingly become an important policy outcome for governments globally, prompting a focus on its conception and measurement. Existing studies on conceptions of well-being in Ghana have mainly focused on adolescents and adults. Given that Ghana’s population is ageing, exploring conceptions of well-being among older adults is important for improving their well-being. This study explores how older adults aged 60 and above conceptualize well-being and how the socio-cultural context shapes these conceptions in rural northern Ghana, West Africa. We undertook 17 in-depth interviews in a low resource setting in Ghana focusing on community-dwelling older adults from three socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. Interviews were analysed thematically. Overall, older adults conceptualized well-being as multidimensional, largely shaped by their socio-cultural context consisting of: (1) material security, (2) physical and cultural work capacity, (3) health, affect and psychological well-being, (4) religiosity/spirituality, and (5) contributing to others. In this context, a low-arousal positive affect, inner peace, was central to a ‘good life’ in older adulthood. Given the multidimensional conceptualization of well-being and how inner peace was central to the good life, a multi-faceted approach that addresses the different dimensions to ensure emotional stability, resilience and security is required for improving well-being among older adults in Ghana.

Keywords: Conceptualizations; Older adults; Inner peace; Happiness; Material security; Subjective well-being; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-025-00907-2

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