Health interventions for the promotion of happiness in community-dwelling older adults

Purpose The purpose of this study is to map and synthesize the scientific evidence on nursing interventions that promote happiness and subjective well-being among community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and over. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review was conducted following the methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE and CINAHL Complete for studies published between 2015 and 2025, complemented by grey literature identified through Portuguese Open Access Scientific Repository. Study selection followed the Population–Concept–Context framework (Population: community-dwelling adults ≥ 65 years; Concept: nursing interventions promoting happiness or subjective well-being; and Context: community or home settings). Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved through consensus. Data were extracted and thematically synthesized. Findings From 128 identified records, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The included studies were conducted in Poland, China, the USA, Israel, Japan, Portugal and Saudi Arabia and involved diverse methodological designs. Four main categories of nursing interventions associated with increased subjective well-being were identified: acceptance of illness and maintenance of functional autonomy, reduction of loneliness through strengthened social support, positive psychology and mindfulness-based interventions and structured resilience development. Evidence indicated that higher levels of happiness were associated with illness acceptance, preserved functional capacity, engagement in meaningful activities and high-quality emotional support within community care contexts. Originality/value This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of international evidence on nursing interventions aimed at promoting happiness among community-dwelling older adults, a topic that remains relatively underexplored in nursing research. By identifying key intervention domains and existing research gaps, this study offers practical insights for developing holistic, person-centered nursing strategies that integrate psychosocial and relational dimensions of care to support healthy and meaningful ageing.