Presentation Schedule
Ikigai as a New Paradigm for Quality-of-Life Enhancement: Implication for Gerontological Social Work (105402)
Session Chair: Patrick Ho Lam Lai
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Friday, 27 March 2026 16:55
Session: Session 3
Room: Live-Stream Room 2
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
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Importance: Global aging populations are expanding rapidly, and the Japanese concept of ikigai has gained attention for its potential to enhance quality of life in later life. However, in Western contexts, ikigai is often oversimplified or misrepresented, limiting its practical application in social work and related services. Clarifying its conceptual structure, cultural origins, and associated factors is therefore essential. Methods: This paper reviews concepts of ikigai by drawing on Japanese and international literature. It integrates diverse literatures, including theoretical frameworks and empirical findings, to explore how ikigai is defined and interpreted, its underlying contexts and processes, and related factors. Findings: Ikigai is an abstract, yet multidimensional and dynamic construct that reflects the meaning of life, the value of existence, motivation, and affirmation of life. This study identifies ikigai as emerging from interactions among conditions (e.g., social relationships), contexts (e.g., life experiences), and consequences (e.g., psychological stability), rather than some Western misconceptions that are always tied to money. Empirical studies associate ikigai with subjective well-being, health, and lower risks of mortality in later life. Diverse operational definitions highlight the breadth of the concept and may require cultural awareness. Discussion and Implications: Ikigai provides a culturally rooted framework that plays a vital role in promoting health and well-being among older adults. Incorporating ikigai into assessment and community practice can shift aging work toward a strength-based perspective. Future research and practice should refine measurement, explore related factors, and evaluate ikigai-informed interventions across diverse cultural contexts, including relevance for aging services in the U.S.
Authors:
Patrick Ho Lam Lai, University of Oklahoma, United States
Chie Noyori-Corbett, University of Oklahoma, United States
Briana White-Saul, University of Oklahoma, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Patrick Ho Lam Lai is an Assistant Professor at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma in the United States.
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickholamlai/
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