TY - JOUR
T1 - The mediating role of will-to-live in the connection between subjective age and depressive symptoms in late life
AU - Bergman, Yoav S.
AU - Bodner, Ehud
AU - Koren, Ela
AU - Haber, Ye'ela
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/4/15
Y1 - 2020/4/15
N2 - Subjective age, or feeling younger/older than one's chronological age, was shown to be an important predictor of depressive symptoms among older adults. Moreover, will-to-live was found to predict the severity of depressive symptoms in old age. However, the connections between subjective age and will-to-live with regard to depressive symptoms have not been studied. Accordingly, the current study examines whether the association between subjective age and depressive symptoms is mediated by will-to-live. Data was collected from 1169 community-dwelling older adults, ranging in age from 63 to 97 (mean age = 73.61), who completed scales assessing subjective age, will-to-live, and depressive symptoms. Additional socio-demographic and health variables were assessed and controlled. Older subjective age was linked with reduced will-to-live and increased depressive symptoms. Moreover, will-to-live was found to be a significant mediator for the subjective age-depressive symptoms connection. This study highlights the clinical importance of subjective age in connection with depression in old age and emphasizes the significance of will-to-live as a relevant personal resource in this regard.
AB - Subjective age, or feeling younger/older than one's chronological age, was shown to be an important predictor of depressive symptoms among older adults. Moreover, will-to-live was found to predict the severity of depressive symptoms in old age. However, the connections between subjective age and will-to-live with regard to depressive symptoms have not been studied. Accordingly, the current study examines whether the association between subjective age and depressive symptoms is mediated by will-to-live. Data was collected from 1169 community-dwelling older adults, ranging in age from 63 to 97 (mean age = 73.61), who completed scales assessing subjective age, will-to-live, and depressive symptoms. Additional socio-demographic and health variables were assessed and controlled. Older subjective age was linked with reduced will-to-live and increased depressive symptoms. Moreover, will-to-live was found to be a significant mediator for the subjective age-depressive symptoms connection. This study highlights the clinical importance of subjective age in connection with depression in old age and emphasizes the significance of will-to-live as a relevant personal resource in this regard.
KW - Depressive symptoms
KW - Subjective age
KW - Will-to-live
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077460183&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2020.109811
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2020.109811
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AN - SCOPUS:85077460183
SN - 0191-8869
VL - 157
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
M1 - 109811
ER -