Katja Pynnönen

My central interest is to study how social activity and social interaction are related to the well-being of older people. In my studies, I have focused especially on how meetings with other people, participating in hobbies conducted in social contexts, and helping other people are associated with life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and mortality risk, and whether mobility, cognitive ability, and experiencing life as purposeful explain these associations. I have explored the effects of interventions involving social interaction (GoodMood-study) and individualized support for autonomous motivation and active aging (AGNES-promo) on older people’s mental well-being and living an active life. Working as a counsellor in AGNES intervention added my understanding on older people’s lives and on possibilities to support their activity. My studies have also focused on adjustment to changes in life (such as the retiring of small business owners and various losses faced in old age). Adjustment to various adversities, psychological and social resources, and human development in old age are interesting topics and phenomena to explore more in the future.