In a recent article by the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI), authors Hemant Ahlawat et al. wrote about a survey of adults 55 and older across 21 countries. The survey supported the preponderance of evidence that shows that having meaningful social connections was one of the most important predictors of health, happiness, and longevity. Those who responded to the survey cited social connections for continued work or volunteering, as well as lifelong learning and participating in community organizations, as things that were important to them.
MHI considers these social connections components of “societal participation” and defines it as consistent involvement in deliberate activities that lead to meaningful engagement with one’s society and community. This includes activities such as working, continued education, volunteerism, and community involvement. Studies have shown that participation in such community activities by older adults is good for health, among other things, and that those people with social connections have a 4-8% increase in overall perceived health when compared to those who do not.
When MHI looked at over 70 peer-reviewed studies, they found that older adults with strong social ties had reduced mortality rates, reduced cognitive impairment, increased functional ability, decreased loneliness and depression, increased physical activity, and enhanced quality of life.
Another well-known study that is over 80 years old called the Harvard Study of Adult Development, determined that people who had the warmest connections with other people had the greatest levels of longevity, health, and happiness.
In addition to being beneficial to the well-being of older adults, social connection is also good for the economy. According to MHI, $6.7 trillion is connected to working older adults annually, and that in the US alone, $1.7 trillion is being missed out on because many older adults who want to work are unable to find significant employment. In fact, older adults who want to work but are not employed could add 2-15% to the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the total value of goods and services produced in a country.
In addition, MHI also estimates that older adults contribute approximately 73 billion hours of volunteer time across the countries that participated in their survey and that potentially billions of additional hours of volunteerism could be added if older adults who aren’t actively engaged get involved.
While the value of actively engaging older adults to increase their participation in the workforce and the community is undeniable, there are significant barriers to participation. The MHI survey identified “difficulty in landing a job” and lack of attractive opportunities” as the most commonly cited barriers that older adults faced when seeking employment. In addition, societal stigmas posed additional barriers. Outdated beliefs on age and unfair bias relate age to a poor ability to perform in spite of the fact that seniors are more educated than ever. Seniors are also often denied equitable access to opportunities for employment because of outdated policies such as mandatory retirement by a certain age and lack of some social norms in some developed countries where people of all ages work and socialize.
The bottom line is that adults 55 and older are an invaluable and often underutilized resource. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience that younger people have yet to obtain but are often denied the same opportunities to contribute as their younger counterparts. Developed countries, specifically the United States, seem to continually overestimate the value of youth and beauty but undervalue experience, wisdom, and the value of inter-generational socialization. If we as a country could invest a little more time and energy in community participation for all ages, our workforce, and social organizations would be infused with a valuable commodity that would only add to the overall well-being of our country.
