Evaluating the Stress-Buffering Function of Meaning in Life Among Older People

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to see if a strong sense of meaning in life helps older adults cope more effectively with the effects of lifetime trauma. The data were obtained from a nationwide longitudinal survey of older adults (N = 1,093). Questions were asked about traumatic events arising at any point in an individual's life and depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that meaning tends to offset the deleterious impact of traumatic life events on depressive symptoms. However, these effects were observed only when the cross-sectional data were examined. In contrast, statistically significant stress-buffering effects were not present when the impact of trauma and meaning on change in depressive symptoms over time was evaluated. The findings from this study provide a basis for devising interventions to help older people cope more effectively with the effects of traumatic events that have arisen in their lives.