Subjective well-being and perceived health of elderly people in Europe|Benessere Soggettivo e Salute Percepita degli anziani in Europa

Perceptions of well-being and health in older age have undergone profound transformations, shifting from approaches primarily focused on clinical and functional indicators to a multidi-mensional perspective that integrates subjective, social, and economic dimensions. Individu-als’ self-rated health is often a strong predictor of objective outcomes such as morbidity, mor-tality, healthcare utilization, and quality of life. Similarly, subjective well-being constitutes an essential component of the ageing process, directly influencing physical health and life expectancy. Overall, our findings, fully consistent with the international literature, indicate that an inte-grated understanding of these aspects is crucial both for interpreting the experience of ageing and for designing more equitable policies and services capable of recognizing and valuing the role of individual perceptions in health processes. Ageing, however, does not unfold uni-formly across the population: socioeconomic conditions, access to resources, and available opportunities profoundly shape both well-being and perceived health, contributing to widen-ing inequalities among social groups. Social relationships represent an additional, critical var-iable, capable of mitigating physical and economic vulnerabilities and supporting psycholog-ical well-being in later life.