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"Meaning in Life" Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Source :
- Healthcare (2227-9032); Mar2024, Vol. 12 Issue 5, p584, 11p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background: Loneliness was found to be a commonly experienced feeling among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and is considered to be a high-risk factor for depressive symptoms. Maintaining meaning in life has been found to be a protective resource for mental health among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of an individual's meaning in life in the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms among older Korean adults. Methods: The data were obtained from a sample of 213 community-dwelling older adults aged over 65. The instruments were the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Results: Loneliness was positively associated with depressive symptoms and negatively associated with the presence of and search for meaning among older adults. The presence of meaning mediated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms but the search for meaning did not. The search for meaning mediated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms through the presence of meaning. Conclusions: Our study findings suggest that efforts to reduce loneliness and improve meaning in life should be undertaken to prevent depressive symptoms among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- LIFE
STATISTICAL correlation
PEARSON correlation (Statistics)
COMMUNITY health services
RESEARCH funding
CENTER for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
QUESTIONNAIRES
LONELINESS
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
STRUCTURAL equation modeling
CHI-squared test
LONELINESS in old age
RESEARCH
COMPARATIVE studies
COVID-19 pandemic
MENTAL depression
PSYCHOSOCIAL factors
OLD age
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 22279032
- Volume :
- 12
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Healthcare (2227-9032)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 175990308
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12050584