Mediational effect of meaning in life on the relationship between optimism and well-being in community elderly

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediational role of meaning in life on the relationship between optimism and subjective well-being in older adults. Two hundred and fifty community-dwelling subjects completed several instruments assessing the above constructs. Results fro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 2013-03, Vol.56 (2), p.309-313
Main Authors: Ju, Haewon, Shin, Jong Wook, Kim, Chan-won, Hyun, Myoung-ho, Park, Jin-woo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anxiety - epidemiology
Anxiety - psychology
Elderly
Elderly people
Emotions - physiology
Female
Humans
Internal Medicine
Life meaning
Meaning in life
Mediational effect
Middle Aged
Optimism
Personal Satisfaction
Pessimism
Prevalence
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Republic of Korea - epidemiology
Subjective wellbeing
Surveys and Questionnaires
Well-being
Wellbeing
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Summary:Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediational role of meaning in life on the relationship between optimism and subjective well-being in older adults. Two hundred and fifty community-dwelling subjects completed several instruments assessing the above constructs. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that optimism was positively associated with both meaning in life and subjective well-being. Furthermore, the relationship between optimism and wellbeing was partially mediated by meaning in life. Although numerous studies have found that optimism is a significant predictor of well-being, the current results indicate that it might not be a key predictor in elders. Our findings suggest that a focus on meaning in life may be a productive avenue to enhance subjective well-being in later life although stable internal resources such as optimism and pessimism impact their subjective well-being.
ISSN:0167-4943
1872-6976
DOI:10.1016/j.archger.2012.08.008