Happiness in Older Age in Çorum: What Do Older People Feel Behind the Figures?

What does data on happiness in older age in Çorum tell us? Older people living alone, family ties and practical ways to support wellbeing in later life.

When the older people of a city are asked "Are you happy?", the answer says a great deal about that city's streets, homes and family relationships. Data on happiness in older age in Çorum offers just such a picture: according to a finding reported in the 2021 elderly care report of the Central Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), citing TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) data, the proportion of older people in Çorum who say "I am happy" is 49.7 per cent. With this figure, Çorum appears as the province with the third-lowest happiness among older people. The same report states that the share of older people among single-person households, at 53.4 per cent, is the highest in Turkey. In this article we will try to read these figures without exaggeration, and to understand the possible structural factors behind them and what they might correspond to in the inner world of older people. The aim is not to label a city, but to offer a starting point for reflection and action to anyone whose parent, neighbour or own self is at this stage of life.

Happiness in Older Age in Çorum: What Do the Figures Say?

Let us first look at the core data. All of it comes from official sources or from institutional reports that cite official data:

• Happiness: According to data reported in OKA's 2021 report, citing TÜİK, the proportion of older people in Çorum who describe themselves as happy is 49.7 per cent. In other words, roughly one in two older people says "I am happy". With this value, the province ranks third from the bottom on this indicator.
• Living alone: The same report states that 53.4 per cent of single-person households consist of older people, and that this is the highest rate in Turkey. A more recent source gives a similar picture: according to news reports citing TÜİK's Family in Statistics 2025 data, someone aged 65 or over lives in 46.8 per cent of single-person households in Çorum. In Turkey this figure is 33.2 per cent, and Çorum ranks third on this indicator.
• Rootedness: Again according to the OKA report, 94.4 per cent of older people in Çorum were born in the province where they live. This is the third-highest rate in the country.
• The weight of the older population: According to the Ministry of Health's Health Statistics Yearbook 2023, the share of the population aged 65 and over in the province is 16.6 per cent, compared with 10.2 per cent in Turkey. According to sources citing TÜİK's 2025 Address-Based Population Registration System data, this share has risen to 17.9 per cent.
• Institutional care: The OKA report gives public care home capacity for 2020 as 132 beds, with an occupancy rate of 98.5 per cent.

The limits of the data

When reading these figures, a few points should be kept in mind. The happiness data dates from around 2019–2020 and is based on the answer to a single question. The question "Are you happy?" is open to many influences, such as health, financial circumstances, grief, and even the person's mood on the day of the interview. In addition, the report does not give a Turkey average for this indicator, so it is not possible to state the size of the gap with certainty. The care home capacity also refers to 2020; new institutions have opened since then. In short, these data are not a diagnosis but a signal that deserves attention.

Possible Factors Affecting Happiness in Older Age in Çorum

It would not be right to attribute a low indicator to a single cause. However, the available data suggest that several structural factors may be playing a part together.

An ageing and shrinking population. The old-age dependency ratio in Çorum, that is, the number of older people for every 100 people of working age, is calculated at 27.3 for 2025; in Turkey the value is around 16. The population has fallen by about 30,000 people since 2007. Some young people leave the province for education and work. This picture may mean that close family support moves geographically further away from older people's daily lives.

What migration leaves behind. While the great majority of older people grow old in the province where they were born, some of their children and grandchildren live in large cities such as Ankara and Istanbul. The long months between bayram (religious holiday) visits and summer holidays can mean quiet homes, especially for older people who have lost their spouse.

Rural life and distance. According to the Health Statistics Yearbook, the rural population share in the province was 39.2 per cent in 2023. For older people living in villages and small districts, reaching the hospital, the market or a friend may require an effort that depends on transport and weather. In the winter months this distance grows even longer.

Health problems. Because of the older population structure, the burden of chronic illness can be expected to be felt in the province. Pain, limited mobility and frequent hospital visits can directly affect whether a person describes themselves as "happy".

Limited care options. In periods when institutional care capacity is limited, the responsibility for care falls largely on the family. This can increase both the older person's feeling that "I am becoming a burden" and the carer's exhaustion.

Considered together, these factors make the low happiness rate unsurprising; but it is not inevitable either. Strengths such as rootedness, neighbourliness and ties of kinship are part of the same picture. The fact that more than 94 per cent of older people live where they were born may, on the one hand, heighten the feeling of being left behind once their children have gone; on the other hand, neighbours who have spent decades on the same street, acquaintances who attend the same mosque and shared memories can, when properly supported, form a strong protective network against loneliness. In other words, the problem is not only a lack of resources but how existing bonds can be kept alive.

A Psychological Reading: The Feelings Behind Not Being Able to Say "I Am Happy"

Figures show an average; the inner world of each older person is unique. Even so, we can speak of some common emotional experiences that make happiness harder in later life.

Loneliness and the feeling of being invisible

Living alone does not always mean feeling lonely; some older people are content to live in their own home, in their own routine. But not speaking to anyone all day, the television being the only voice in the evenings and the thought that "no one calls or asks after me" can, over time, create a deep emptiness. As we described in our article on feeling lonely, loneliness is not about the number of people around us but about feeling seen and understood.

Losses and grief

Older age is a period in which losses accumulate: a spouse, siblings, friends, and sometimes health and independence. Each loss requires its own grieving. Losses that have not been grieved or shared can show themselves as unhappiness or lack of motivation.

Loss of role and the search for meaning

The end of working life, children leaving home, or handing over the field or the shop can lead a person to ask "What use am I now?". Traditionally, being the elder of the household, the person whose word is heeded, is an important source of identity; when this role weakens, a sense of worthlessness may appear.

Worry about being a burden

Older people who need care often say they are afraid of "being a burden" on their children. This worry can lead them not to voice their needs and to hide their pain and sadness. An older person who seems to be "managing" from the outside may be carrying a serious unhappiness inside. Let us say that a 75-year-old woman who lost her husband a few years ago tells her son every time he calls, "I'm fine, you look after yourselves." Yet after she hangs up, she does not even feel like making dinner. In this example the problem is not a lack of love; it is that while both sides try to protect each other, their real feelings go unspoken.

The overlooked face of depression

Depression in older age often goes unnoticed because people say "that's just what old age is like". Changes in sleep and appetite, constant tiredness, frequent physical complaints, a loss of interest in things once enjoyed, and remarks such as "there's no point in living any more" are signs that deserve attention. These signs do not amount to a diagnosis on their own, but they may call for an assessment by a professional.

Unhappiness is not a natural part of older age; in later life, too, feelings deserve to be noticed, listened to and supported.

Practical Suggestions for Older People and Families

Although the figures point to structural factors, there is a great deal we can do as individuals and families.

For older people themselves:

• Build a small routine into your day. Small repeated habits such as a morning walk, dropping in on a neighbour at a set time or calling a relative in the evening give the day a meaningful structure.
• Keep social contact alive. The mosque congregation, the neighbourhood tea house, visits to neighbours, handicraft gatherings or Public Education Centre (Halk Eğitim) courses are natural ways to form new bonds.
• Do not neglect your body. Regular check-ups, movement and sleep have a direct effect on mood.
• Do not hide your feelings. The sadness you keep quiet about so as "not to upset my children" may ease when it is shared.

For adult children and families:

• Frequency matters more than length. A short call every day can ease an older person's daily loneliness more than one long phone call a week.
• Teach video calls. Seeing the grandchildren's faces provides a different closeness from hearing their voices. A piece of technology shown patiently a few times can shorten a great distance.
• Ask concrete questions instead of "How are you?". Questions such as "Who did you see today?" or "When did you last go out?" help you understand the real situation better.
• Involve them in decisions. Asking for the older person's view in decisions about care, moving house or health supports their sense of being valued.
• Make the neighbourhood network visible. If you live far away, staying in touch with a neighbour or relative your parents trust makes it easier to be informed in an emergency.

For institutions and neighbourhoods: Neighbourhood heads (muhtars), municipalities and civil society organisations can play an important role in changing this picture through programmes such as regular visits to older people who live alone, intergenerational activities and transport support.

Our article on older people living alone in Çorum, which looks at their situation in more detail, may also be a useful complementary read.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

In older age it is normal to feel sad from time to time, to miss the past or to grieve losses. However, it may be helpful to consult a mental health professional in the following situations:

• If unhappiness, lack of motivation or hopelessness lasts longer than two weeks
• If there is a marked deterioration in eating, sleep or personal care
• If the person has stopped going out or seeing people altogether
• If, even months after the loss of a spouse or someone close, grief is intense enough to bring daily life to a halt
• If changes such as forgetfulness or confusion appear together with changes in mood
• If you hear remarks such as "There's no point in my living" or "I'd be better off dead"

If there are thoughts of self-harm or any urgent risk, call 112 (emergency services) without delay. Where the situation is intertwined with physical illness, an assessment by a psychiatrist may also be needed. Psychological support can be received face to face in Çorum, and online sessions can also be an option for older people with limited mobility or those living in the districts.

How Is Unhappiness in Older Age Addressed in Therapy?

Contrary to the thought that "it's too late to change now", psychotherapy in older age can be meaningful support for many people. Therapy usually works on the following areas:

• Naming feelings: Talking about long-suppressed sadness, anger or hurt in a safe setting.
• Cognitive approach: Within the framework of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), noticing automatic thoughts such as "I'm no use to anyone any more" and evaluating them from more balanced perspectives.
• Behavioural activation: Gradually bringing small activities that give pleasure and meaning back into daily life.
• Grief work: Making sense of losses and allowing grief to be lived in a healthy way.
• Life review: Looking at past experiences, achievements and difficulties as a whole, and helping the person find meaning in their life story.
• Family sessions: Where needed, discussing communication and care arrangements together with adult children.

Where depressive symptoms are prominent, work in the area of depression and mood can give an idea of the steps therapy may follow. The length and method of therapy are determined by the person's needs; the aim is not to "fix" old age, but to make this stage of life more meaningful and less lonely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the happiness rate among older people in Çorum low?

It is not possible to name a definite cause. The high share of older people in the population, the large number of older people living alone, young people migrating out of the province, the distances that come with rural life and health problems may all be playing a part together. It should also be remembered that the data is based on a single question and dates from a few years ago.

Is every older person who lives alone unhappy?

No. Many older people are content to live in their own home, in their own routine. What matters is not living alone but whether the person feels cut off and unsupported. Regular social contact and meaningful activities support wellbeing in older people who live alone too.

As an adult child living far away, how can I support my parents?

Short but frequent calls, video calls, staying in touch with a nearby neighbour or relative and asking for their views in decisions are important steps. During your visits, try to set aside time not only for sorting out tasks but also for simply spending time together.

Is it too late to start therapy in older age?

No. Therapy can offer a space to work on thoughts, feelings and relationships at any age. In older age, therapy often focuses on losses, loneliness, role changes and health worries, and can contribute to the person's day-to-day quality of life.

• #older age
• #happiness in later life
• #loneliness
• #Çorum

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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