Relevance. Recent decades have witnessed an increase in the proportion of elderly people in the population structure of many countries around the world, including Russia. Increase in life expectancy results in urgent issues of maintaining health and well-being at this age. Promoting positive ageing in late life is becoming a priority of social policy, and the criteria for positive ageing comprise the absence of physical and mental diseases as well as subjective and psychological well-being of a person. In this regard, there is a need to accumulate and analyze data regarding the perceived level of well-being in older age, as well as the characteristics of well-being in its different periods.
Objective. The article aims to identify the characteristics of the subjective and psychological well-being of people at older age belonging to the groups of pre-elderly (60-70 years) and elderly (71-80 years) in comparison with a younger group of people of late maturity (less than 60 years).
Methods. The study was conducted on a sample (N=346) that included representatives of all these age groups. To assess subjective well-being we used E. Diener's "Satisfaction with Life Scale" and a shortened version of "The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule". A psychological well-being assessment was conducted on the basis of "Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-being"; and health status was assessed using the "SF-36 Health Status Survey".
Results and Conclusions. The research results showed that when compared with late maturity, some parameters of subjective well-being remain stable at older age (life satisfaction and positive affect), while others decrease (a higher intensity of negative emotions is registered). In the pre-elderly and elderly groups indicators of subjective well-being do not differ significantly. The results were discussed from the point of view of a well-being paradox, which consists in the fact that despite losses in many life spheres, subjective well-being at older age does not decrease, though significant health deterioration at the turn of pre-elderly and elderly is observed. It is proved that subjective well-being at older age is associated primarily with mental rather than physical health.
Most indicators of psychological well-being at older age do not decrease significantly, except for life goals (this indicator is lower in pre-elderly age compared to late maturity and even lower at elderly compared to pre-elderly age). It is noted that this aspect of psychological well-being is an important factor in maintaining physical and mental health of older adults. Thus, their psychological assistance focuses on enhancing their sense of life purpose.