A University of Toronto study reveals that nearly one in four adults aged 60 and older who started with poor well-being achieved optimal wellness after three years. Factors like physical activity, good sleep, and emotional support were key to recovery. The research highlights the potential for resilience in later life through lifestyle and social factors.
Researchers Mabel Ho and Esme Fuller-Thomson from the University of Toronto analyzed data from 8,332 adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging who initially did not meet criteria for optimal well-being. All participants were at least 60 years old by the three-year follow-up. Published on September 24, 2025, in PLOS One, the study found that almost one-quarter of these individuals regained a state combining physical, psychological, emotional, social, and self-rated well-being.
Those showing psychological and emotional wellness at the start were nearly five times more likely to recover full well-being. Recovery odds were higher for participants under 70, married, and with incomes above the poverty line. Positive outcomes linked to not smoking, staying physically active, sleeping well, maintaining a stable body weight, and avoiding chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, arthritis, or osteoporosis.
The study emphasizes maintaining a healthy lifestyle and managing chronic illnesses. Because Canada provides universal healthcare, the authors caution that results may not apply to countries where care depends on ability to pay, or to low- and middle-income nations.
If confirmed as causal, the findings suggest policies supporting physical, psychological, emotional, and social wellness could aid recovery. Programs to promote active lifestyles, chronic condition management, and prevention of social isolation might enhance resilience.
"What's powerful about this research is the reminder that later life can still be fulfilling, even after difficult periods. Good health is important, but so are the people, meaning, and joy we have in our lives," says first author Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute of Life Course and Aging.
"This is a clear call to invest in prevention, financial stability, and accessible wellness supports -- because these aren't just smart policies, they can potentially improve the trajectory of aging for older adults who are struggling," 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.