The relationship between meaning in life and resilience in older adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundMeaning in life has been considered necessary for the psychological well-being of older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between meaning in life and resilience in the elderly in Kerman, Iran.Participants and procedureIn this cross-sectional study, 300 older adults (aged more than 60 years) were included using the multistage sampling method in Kerman in 2018. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to investigate the resilience status, and for as-sessing meaning of life, Steger’s meaning in life questionnaire was employed. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, chi-square, t-test, ANOVA and linear regression by IBM SPSS V21.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 67.3 ±7.9 years. Resilience status was significantly different in terms of gender (p = .021), educational status (p = .032), and self-reported health status (p = .003). There was a significant positive relationship between meaning in life and resilience (r = .38, p = .012). Independent variables (meaning in life, self-reported health status, gender) accounted for 31% of the variance in resilience (p ≤ .001).ConclusionsConsidering meaning in life and resilience in older adults helps to improve psychological health and wellness and create a unique potential ability to confront the pitfalls of old age, which result in better physical, mental, social, and spiritual health in older adults.