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Investigation of life satisfaction, meaning in life & loneliness levels of a group of elderly individuals in terms of some demographic variables
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the degrees of older individuals’ life satisfaction, meaning of life and loneliness within the frame of dynamics of life. In accordance with this aim, “Meaning in Life”, “Life Satisfaction Scale” and “UCLA Loneliness Scale” were applied to 96 participants (51 males and 45 females at the ages of 60 and above) living in Fatih and Kağıthane neighborhoods in İstanbul. The participants were selected via the method of convenient sampling. In the study, life-meaning, life-satisfaction and loneliness scores did not show significant differences with regards to demographic variables (p>,05). Yet, it was found that there was a statistically meaningful relationship between the levels of life meaning and life satisfaction (r=,266; p<,01). The findings of this study presented crucial information about psychology of elderly individuals. Beyond gender, age and so on, the perspectives of older people toward life was an important factor determining the quality of their life. It showed us that as the elderly individuals would be satisfied with every minute of their life as long as they led a life reminding them of the reason for their existence.
Keywords: Successful aging, life meaning, life satisfaction and loneliness in old age.
... These associations support the assumption that those variables represent existential themes among people with advanced cancer. In addition, these interrelations among all variables are similar to those reported in previous studies [49][50][51] and demonstrate the mutual influence on each other. The only exception was dying anxiety, which correlated with only some of the variables and therefore may not be considered as an indicator of existential theme. ...
Background: Based on literature review, advanced stage cancer patients hold over-optimistic
perception of their prognosis. This phenomenon is presumed to be an implication of defense
and coping mechanisms, aiming to alienate the proximity of death. At such circumstances,
existential issues arise and when adaptive, serve as powerful psychological resources against
distress and despair. The first purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of advanced
stage Israeli cancer patients’ perception of prognosis on their existential well-being. The second
purpose of the study was to explore the role of ego-integrity as a mediator within the equation
of perception of prognosis and existential well-being.
Methods: Two hundred and ten Israeli stage 4 cancer patients completed self-report measures
of their perception of prognosis, ego-integrity and aspects of existential well-being: personal
meaning, inter-personal meaning, death and dying anxiety, satisfaction with life and will-tolive.
Results: Positive correlations were demonstrated between perception of prognosis with personal
meaning, interpersonal meaning, total meaning satisfaction with life, will-to-live and egointegrity.
In addition, negative correlations were demonstrated between perception of prognosis
with death-anxiety and dying-anxiety. Perception of prognosis was found to be a predictor of
existential well-being, so that the better the perception of prognosis the higher were satisfaction
with life (β=0.39, p<0.01), will-to-live (β=0.12, p<0.05), total meaning (β=0.22, p<0.01),
personal meaning (β=0.24, p<0.01), interpersonal meaning (β=0.13, p<0.05) and ego integrity
(β=0.24, p<0.01). Furthermore, the better the perception of prognosis the lower was death
anxiety (β =-.24, p<0.01). Moderating analyses revealed that only among patients low in egointegrity
a positive association existed between perception of prognosis and personal meaning
(β=0.30, p<0.05).
Conclusions: The study highlights the significant effect of the perception of prognosis on existential
well-being in advanced stage cancer patients. When death is imminent, an overestimation
of prognosis has a role of preserving existential well-being. Also, ego integrity was found
to be attributing for preserving existential well-being of people with terminal illnesses. In addition,
the moderating effect of ego-integrity emphasizes its virtue as a source of resilience for
the wholeness of the self at times of threat. A possible influence of cultural – ethnic attributes
on results is discussed, thereby emphasizing the complexity of the argument, whether acknowledging
one’s death has a positive or rather negative effect on one’s existential well-being.
KEY WORDS: Perception of prognosis; Meaning; Ego integrity; Cancer; Existential well-being.
Background:
Religious coping refers to the use of religion or spirituality to cope with stressful situations. Religious coping is a concept which involves both positive and negative cases. Studies on oncology patients, who encounter various physical and psychological difficulties, report that religious coping beliefs and practices are of great importance in helping patients to face the disease, adapt to this crisis period and accept their disease, and maintain their hope. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between religious coping and life satisfaction in oncology patients aged 65 and over.
Methods:
This descriptive study was conducted at a university hospital in a city located in eastern Turkey between March and July 2020 with the voluntary participation of 125 patients with cancer. Data collection was performed via the Demographic Characteristics Form, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Religious Coping Scale.
Results:
Mean score of the Life Satisfaction Scale was significantly higher among the participants with a monthly income of 2000 tl and over, who lived with their spouse and children, who adapted to the diseases, and who perceived their health status as 'good'. The mean score of the Religious Coping Scale was significantly higher in the participants with metastasis. There was a negative, statistically significant relationship between the Life Satisfaction Scale total mean score and the Negative Religious Coping sub-scale mean score (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
This study found that negative religious coping negatively affected life satisfaction. Further, patients with cancer should be provided with psychosocial support programs that enable them to express the cases causing them to think what they experience is a divine punishment, encourage them in this way, and help them feel relieved.
Although research suggests that positive psychology intervention can enhance subjective well-being and reduce depression, its effectiveness on older adults remains largely unknown. Therefore the present study aimed to develop and evaluate a custom-tailored positive psychology intervention program for older adults. The program offered nine-week group sessions to 74 older people recruited from district community centers and nursing homes in Hong Kong. The intervention program covers eight themes, including optimism, gratitude, savoring, happiness, curiosity, courage, altruism, and meaning of life. The participants consisted mostly of females aged between 63 and 105 years. One-group pre-test/post-test design was adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on depression, life satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. Results revealed that the intervention reduced the number of depressive symptoms and increased the levels of life satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. Effectiveness of the intervention is discussed in relation to self-awareness, education, self-reinforcement, and sensitivity to age and culture.
This study explored the relationships among serious leisure, life satisfaction, and health. The study sample consisted of 454 older adults from two annual events: the 2008 Indiana Senior Olympic Games and 2008 Colorado Senior Olympic Games. Cluster analysis was used to identify distinct groups based upon patterns of serious leisure involvement. In addition, relations among life satisfaction, health, and membership in serious leisure clusters were documented. This analysis resulted in three clusters, and they were named high/medium/low involvement groups. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to determine cluster differences in life satisfaction, physical health, and mental health. MANOVA results revealed significant differences among the clusters on dependent variables. The findings document significant heterogeneity in the expression of serious leisure involvement among the Senior Games participants. The results also suggest that there are positive relationships between level of involvement in serious leisure and life satisfaction and health.
This study examined how different patterns of sources of meaning in life impact the psychosocial adaptation of older adults. A total of 120 (62 women and 58 men) community-residing older adults completed self-report measures of sources of meaning in life, physical health, life satisfaction, depression, personality, existential regrets, attitudes toward aging, and attitudes toward life. Cluster analysis of sources of meaning revealed four distinct meaning orientations: self-transcendent (n = 32), collectivistic (n = 24), individualistic (n = 34), and self-preoccupied (n = 30). MANCOVA analysis of the four groups, controlling for age, marital status, education, and financial satisfaction, revealed a strong multivariate main effect for meaning orientation. No statistically significant gender and Gender × Meaning orientation interaction effects were found. Older adults, who derive meaning from self-transcendent sources, are more extraverted, open to experience, agreeable, and conscientious; perceive greater purpose and coherence in life; feel more in control in directing their lives; express a stronger desire to get more out of life; and are less depressed compared with those who derive meaning through pursuing self-serving interests without any real commitment to personal, interpersonal, or societal development. The implications of the findings for positive aging are discussed.
Meaning in life is thought to be important to well-being throughout the human life span. We assessed the structure, levels, and correlates of the presence of meaning in life, and the search for meaning, within four life stage groups: emerging adulthood, young adulthood, middle-age adulthood, and older adulthood. Results from a sample of Internet users (N = 8756) demonstrated the structural invariance of the meaning measure used across life stages. Those at later life stages generally reported a greater presence of meaning in their lives, whereas those at earlier life stages reported higher levels of searching for meaning. Correlations revealed that the presence of meaning has similar relations to well-being across life stages, whereas searching for meaning is more strongly associated with well-being deficits at later life stages.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among lifetime exposure to traumatic events, emotional support, and life satisfaction in three cohorts of older adults.
Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a nationwide sample of 1,518 older people in 2003. Approximately 500 elders were interviewed in each of the following age cohorts: Young-old (age 65-74), old-old (75-84), and oldest-old (85 and older).
The findings suggest that exposure to lifetime trauma is associated with less life satisfaction in all three age cohorts. The data further reveal that emotional support offsets the effects of trauma on feelings of life satisfaction in the old-old and the oldest-old. The stress buffering properties of emotional support were especially evident in the oldest-old cohort.
The findings underscore the need to develop interventions that help older people deal more effectively with lifetime trauma. Moreover, the results suggest that interventions providing emotional support may be especially helpful for the oldest-old.
A qualitative research design using narrative interviews was used to explore how a group of older adults experienced meaning and purpose in their lives. In-depth interviews conducted with 11 older adults ranging in age from 66 to 92 years revealed 6 dimensions through which meaning is experienced and created. Through the sharing of their narrative life stories, these individuals described how meaning in their lives contributed to a sense of self that allowed them to embrace life with a sense of purpose and enthusiasm.
Psychology after World War II became a science largely devoted to healing. It concentrated on repairing damage using a disease model of human functioning. This almost exclusive attention to pathology neglected the idea of a fulfilled individual and a thriving community, and it neglected the possibility that building strength is the most potent weapon in the arsenal of therapy. The aim of positive psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life. To redress the previous imbalance, we must bring the building of strength to the forefront in the treatment and prevention of mental illness.
The specialty of gerontological counseling has a 20‐year history that began with a dearth of information and has progressed to the development of preparation standards and a national certification, both based on a nationally endorsed statement of competencies for gerontological counselors. The question of whether generalization or a specialization will best serve the needs of older persons continues to be central to the development of this specialization.
We would not be relevant in the 21st century if we did not visit religion and spirituality in the field of aging. This essay first examines the agist society and challenges its present mind‐set to dispel ageism and engage in intervention designed to enhance quality of living. It next moves to a consideration of aging and meaning and the role of religion and spirituality in advancing meaning in later life. It concludes with a brief discussion of meaning‐making and soul‐nourishment of the able‐old and frail‐old, affirming the value of spiritual development continuing throughout old age.
To make sense of their existence in the face of adversity and chaos or during times of relative calm, human beings seek meaning. Meaning has been identified as a significant factor in health and well-being in later years. Engaging in an intensive literature search about meaning in later life constituted the beginning step for a qualitative research study. By studying how older people experience meaning in their lives, we may learn more about the human experiences of joy and hope and their capacity to respond to opportunities and manage problems in their lives.
The authors examined age differences in perceived coping resources and satisfaction with life across 3 older-adult age groups (45-64, 65-74, and 75 years and older). The 98 participants represented healthy, socially active, community-residing adults. Group comparisons were made on 12 individual coping scales, and an overall coping resource effectiveness score was computed. No significant differences were found for 11 of the coping resources or for overall coping resource effectiveness. Similar consistencies in life satisfaction were found across the 3 age groups. The findings indicate that (a) for healthy adults, the oldest old cope at least as effectively as their younger counterparts, despite their likelihood of encountering increased levels of stress; and (b) psychologically, old age may be viewed as a time of resilience and fortitude.
The substantial increases in life expectancy at birth achieved over the previous century, combined with medical advances, escalating health and social care costs, and higher expectations for older age, have led to international interest in how to promote a healthier old age and how to age "successfully." Changing patterns of illness in old age, with morbidity being compressed into fewer years and effective interventions to reduce disability and health risks in later life, make the goal of ageing successfully more realistic. Debate continues about whether disability has been postponed, although the Berlin ageing study and the US MacArthur study of ageing showed that greater longevity has resulted in fewer, not more, years of disability.
A forward looking policy for older age would be a programme to promote successful ageing from middle age onwards, rather than simply aiming to support elderly people with chronic conditions. But what is successful ageing? And who should define it?
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