Personality, Relationships with Others and Psychological Well-Being: A Pilot Study on the Gabonese Older People

Abstract

Each Individual is linked to his social environment by support relationships. This concern both aid that the individual himself provides and his social resources. We studied the hypothesized mediator role, in aging, of relationship with others, including in particular perceived social support (PSS) and compassionate love (CL). PSS and CL were studied in the link between personality and psychological well-being (PWB) to Gabonese older people. The data were collected using Likert questionnaires in a sample of 155 (94 men and 61 women) older people. Findings revealed the mediator role of CL between two dimensions of personality (agreeableness and openness) on the one hand and PWB on the other side. PSS was also found to be a mediator only between agreeableness and PWB. Our findings support the influence of relationship with others in enhancing PWB. The latter would be more fostered when individuals receive and give support. The present study has implications in nursing home as well as at home. It allows relatives to better interact and take their parents to foster their PWB. Similarly, it may contribute to health care research and provide knowledge about older people care at nursing home. It encourages the implementation of clinical interventions in a goal of promoting social interactions in which older people can give compassionate love and receive social support. Finally, the study highlights the importance of the development of person-centred practice in Nursing Home Services.