“Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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 p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/5/584 |
| _version_ | 1797264527633416192 |
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| author | Chanhee Kim Jiyoung Chun |
| author_facet | Chanhee Kim Jiyoung Chun |
| author_sort | Chanhee Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-adbd50b3bd74461890c4ba81d733894b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:19Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-adbd50b3bd74461890c4ba81d733894b2024-03-12T16:44:56ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322024-03-0112558410.3390/healthcare12050584“Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 PandemicChanhee Kim0Jiyoung Chun1Department of Nursing, Changwon National University, 20 Changwondaehak-ro, Uichang-gu, Changwon-si 51140, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of KoreaCollege of Nursing, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Republic of KoreaBackground: 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/5/584lonelinessmeaning in lifedepressionolder adults |
| spellingShingle | Chanhee Kim Jiyoung Chun “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic Healthcare loneliness meaning in life depression older adults |
| title | “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | meaning in life mediates the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms among older adults during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | loneliness meaning in life depression older adults |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/5/584 |
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