People who have children and grandchildren are happier than those who don’t, according to new research by the University of Cologne.

The study, conducted by Dr Bettina Hünteler and Professor Karsten Hank, analysed the entire life course of over 3500 people born between 1933 and 1954 – focusing on whether and when these people became parents and grandparents and when they lost their parents.

They found that people who lived in three- or four-generation families were happier and healthier than those who had no children or grandchildren or lost their parents early in life.

“In multi-generational families, a person’s role within their family changes over time. They often end up holding several family roles at the same time – such as child, parent, and grandparent – and this can be positively associated with life satisfaction,” says Hünteler.

The study also revealed that people may cope with the early loss of a parent better if they have children or grandchildren, as this may have a stabilising effect on well-being and mitigate the effects of grief and loss.

“These findings have important policy implications. Welfare states should pay more attention to how to support people with different life courses, as well as non-standard ones. For example, people who become parents early on or late, or people who have been orphaned early, may need special support to cope with these events,” adds Hünteler.

The research was published in the Journal Ageing and Society.