Think Positively and Feel Positively: Optimism and Life Satisfaction in Late Life

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beeto Wai-Chung Leung ◽  
Giovanni B. Moneta ◽  
Catherine McBride-Chang
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Financial Status ◽  
Financial Conditions ◽  
Elderly Living

This study developed a dispositional path model of life satisfaction for community dwelling Chinese elderly living in Hong Kong. A sample of 117 elderly completed scales measuring life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, relationship harmony, self-construals, and perceived/expected health and financial status. Modeling revealed that life satisfaction was predicted by self-esteem and relationship harmony, which in turn were predicted by independent and interdependent self-construals, respectively. In addition, optimism predicted life satisfaction directly and indirectly through self-esteem and relationship harmony. Financial status mediated entirely the effect of optimism on life satisfaction. Health status was predicted by optimism but did not predict life satisfaction. Optimism is a key contributor to subjective well being because it fosters self-esteem, relationship harmony, and positive perceptions of financial conditions.

Relationships with Grandparents and Grandchildren’s Well-being after Parental Divorce

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike Jappens ◽  
Jan Van Bavel
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Parental Divorce ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Good Relationship ◽  
Family Crisis ◽  
Depressive Feelings ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Grandparents are often considered as providing important resources in times of family crisis. Little is known, however, about the influence of grandparents on the well-being of grandchildren after parental divorce. This article investigates the association between the quality of relationships with grandparents and grandchildren’s subjective well-being. Using data from the study ‘Divorce in Flanders’, the authors compare 567 grandchildren with divorced and 238 with married parents regarding four indicators of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem, mastery, and depressive feelings) and also examine variation within the group with divorced parents. Results show that the strength of grandchild–grandparent relationships is positively associated with grandchildren’s subjective well-being and that having a very good relationship with a grandparent matters even more for grandchildren whose parents have divorced. Moreover, grandchildren who experience frequent conflicts between divorced parents seem to benefit most from close grandparent relationships.

scholarly journals Longitudinal analysis of subjective well-being in preadolescents: The role of emotional intelligence, self-esteem and perceived stress

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532095160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidón Villanueva ◽  
Vicente Prado-Gascó ◽  
Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Somatic Complaints ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Trait Emotional Intelligence

Subjective wellbeing has been conceptualized as a person’s cognitive and affective evaluation of their life. In this line, life satisfaction and somatic complaints may be outstanding indicators of well-being. The aim of this longitudinal study was to analyze the combined contribution of trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem and perceived stress to well-being. Participants were 381 pupils aged 12–16 years (56.1% female). Hierarchical regression models and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) were conducted. Trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem and low perceived stress were related in the expected direction to life satisfaction and somatic complaints. Findings support a specific pathway to improve wellbeing in preadolescents.

scholarly journals Association Between Personal Values in Adolescence and Subjective Well-Being and Subjective Health Status in Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Study with Retrospective Recall

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mako Iida ◽  
Kazuhiro Watanabe ◽  
Naonori Yasuma ◽  
Daisuke Nishi ◽  
Norito Kawakami
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Subjective Health Status ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Backgrounds: Subjective well-being and subjective health status are significant indicators of healthy lives, and might be influenced by personal values shaped in adolescence. However, there are no studies that have examined the association between personal values in adolescence and subjective well-being in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate this association in a large community adult sample in Japan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with retrospective recall, using data from a Japanese study on stratification, health, income, and neighborhood (J-SHINE) survey. We used data for demographic variables and outcome variables (i.e., meaning in life, life satisfaction, and subjective health status) in a Wave 1 survey, and data regarding personal values (i.e., value priorities based on Schwartz’s theory of basic values and commitment to values) at the age of 15 in a Wave 3 survey. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between personal values at the age of 15 and meaning in life, life satisfaction, and subjective health status in adulthood. Results: A total of 2,413 adults from the J-SHINE sample were included in the analysis. The adolescent values of “having influence on society,” “actively challenging,” “having and keeping a belief,” “exploring what you were interested in,” “graduating from a famous school,” and commitment to values were positively and significantly associated, while “being evaluated by others” in adolescence was negatively associated with meaning in life in adulthood. At the same time, commitment to values in adolescence was positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction in adulthood. With subjective health status in adulthood, the adolescent value of “graduating from a famous school” had a positive and significant correlation, while “maintain a stable life” had a negative and significant association. Conclusions: Personal values related to openness to change and self-enhancement, and commitment to values in adolescence might be associated with better subjective well-being and subjective health status in adulthood. The findings could be useful for programs that invest in adolescence, which can bring many benefits to adulthood.

scholarly journals Disentangling the Mechanisms of Retirement Adjustment: Determinants and Consequences of Subjective Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Isabelle Hansson ◽  
Sandra Buratti ◽  
Valgeir Thorvaldsson ◽  
Boo Johansson ◽  
Anne Ingeborg Berg
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Retirement Transition ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Bidirectional Associations ◽  
Total Resource

Abstract Retirement from work is a major life event requiring adaptation to new life circumstances. The resource-based dynamic model of retirement adjustment suggests that well-being will change due to changes in individual resources. In the present study, we test this hypothesis by investigating longitudinal and bidirectional associations between life satisfaction and perceived resources (i.e., self-esteem, autonomy, social support, self-rated physical health, self-rated cognitive ability, and financial satisfaction) over a 4-year period in the transition from work to retirement. Our sample included annual assessment data from 497 older adults (aged 60–66) in the population-based HEalth, Ageing, and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study. Results from bivariate latent change score models showed weak but consistent associations between changes in perceived resources and changes in life satisfaction over the retirement transition. Analyses of cross-lagged effects also revealed bidirectional associations. Self-esteem, self-rated physical health, and total resource capability were positively related to changes in life satisfaction, and life satisfaction was positively related to changes in self-esteem, autonomy, self-rated physical health, and self-rated cognitive ability. The total resource capability accounted for 12% of the changes in life satisfaction in the first years following retirement. Life satisfaction accounted for 16% of the changes in autonomy in the transition from work to retirement. Our findings demonstrate that perceived resources are important for life satisfaction in the retirement transition, at the same time as overall life satisfaction accounts for how we perceive and evaluate our own resources during this process.

Subjective well-being amongst community-dwelling elders: what determines satisfaction with life? Findings from the Dublin Healthy Aging Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aine M. Ní Mhaoláin ◽  
Damien Gallagher ◽  
Henry O Connell ◽  
A. V. Chin ◽  
Irene Bruce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Older People ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Older Individuals

ABSTRACTBackground: Life satisfaction is a subjective expression of well-being and successful aging. Subjective well-being is a major determinant of health outcomes in older people. The aim of this study was to determine which factors predicted well-being in older people living in the community as measured by their satisfaction with life.Methods: The relationship between life satisfaction, as measured by the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI-A) and physical, cognitive and demographic variables was examined in 466 older people living in the community using a stepwise regression modelResults: Depression, loneliness, neuroticism, extraversion, recent participation in physical activity, age and self-reported exhaustion, were the independent predictors of life satisfaction in our elderly cohort.Conclusion: Subjective well-being, as measured by the Life Satisfaction Scale, is predicted by depression, loneliness, personality traits, recent participation in physical activity and self-reported exhaustion. The mental and emotional status of older individuals, as well as their engagement in physical activity, are as important as physical functionality when it comes to life satisfaction as a measure of well-being and successful aging. These areas represent key targets for intervention.

scholarly journals The health status and life satisfaction of caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer’s

1969 ◽  
Vol 42 (2 supl 1) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
Maria Helena Lenardt ◽  
Mariluci Hautsch Willig ◽  
Márcia Daniele Seima ◽  
Letice De Freitas Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Reference Center

Introduction: The health status of caregivers is associated with satisfaction with life and so in the way of delivering care to the elderly with Alzheimer’s. Objective: To evaluate the health status and life satisfaction of family caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer’s, users of a Reference Center for Care in Alzheimer’s disease in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study. The convenience sample consisted of 208 family caregivers and selected during the period December 2009 to February 2010, through the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study was conducted in the Reference Center. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and application of the scales: Zarit caregiver burden interview, Subjective Well-Being and Functional Staging. For statistical analysis, we applied the Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test, using Epi-Info 6.04. Results were considered statistically significant if their level was less than 5% (p

Race, Socioeconomic Status, and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Americans

1987 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad McKenzie ◽  
James Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Self Assessed Health ◽  
Intervening Variables

Causal examination of factors influencing life satisfaction among older Americans can provide knowledge important to social policy development. Using rotated factor analysis, this study isolates two dimensions of life satisfaction, labeled happiness and morale, using data from the 1981 Harris survey on aging. Race, SES characteristics, and the two intervening variables of self-assessed health status and problems experienced are tested through path analysis on the two attributes of life satisfaction. Most of the effects of race and SES are mediated by self-assessed health status and problems experienced, and these two intervening variables are the strongest direct predictors of happiness and morale. Of particular significance are results which demonstrate that racial background has a strong influence on problems experienced, and that education is more influential than income on the life satisfaction factors tested in this study.

Attachment, self-esteem, and subjective well-being among people in China aged 50 and over: The role of self-compassion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ningning Ding ◽  
Zikun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
The Relationship

We explored the relationships among adult attachment, self-esteem, and subjective well-being of older people, and the moderating role of self-compassion. Using data obtained from a survey conducted with 308 community-dwelling adults aged from 51 to 79 years in China’s Shandong Province, we found that self-esteem mediated the effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on subjective well-being. Furthermore, self-compassion not only moderated the relationship between attachment anxiety and self-esteem, but also moderated the mediating effect of self-esteem in the relationship between attachment anxiety and subjective well-being. The results not only extend understanding of the relationships that exist between adult attachment and subjective well-being, but also have implications for improving the psychological health and well-being of adults in later life.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Parent Occupation on Mental Health, Self-Esteem, and Subjective Well-Being among College Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Farhang ◽  
Dr. H. Sam SanandaRaj
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Professional Category ◽  
Environmental Mastery ◽  
Self Actualization

The present study has been carried out with the aim of investigating the college students mental health status (and its subscales likewise, attitude toward the self, self-actualization, integration, autonomy, perception of reality, environmental mastery), self-esteem, and subjective well-being based on their parents occupation. The sample of the study consisted of 750 college students studying in different college of Visakhapatnam city (India), selected through stratified sampling method. In order to collect data, the Mental Health status, (M.H.S. Scale) by P. Gireesan & Sananda Raj,(1988), Self-Esteem Inventory by Thomas, & Sananda Raj, and Subjective Well-Being Inventory, by Suhany, B, T &Sananda Raj, (2002) and personal information schedule, were used. The data were analyzed using One way ANOVA as well as Duncan test. The result indicated that College students, whose; their father’s Occupation comes in Semi professional category had higher level of mental health, self-actualization, integration, perception of reality, and environmental mastery than others. College students, whose; their father’s Occupation comes in High professional category had higher level of subjective well-being than others. College students, whose; their Mother’s Occupation comes in semi professional category had more mental health, self-actualization, perception of reality, than others. College students, whose; their Mother’s Occupation comes in High professional category had more integration, and environmental mastery than others.

Exploring the Roles of Career Adaptability, Self-Esteem, and Work Values in Life Satisfaction Among Emerging Adults During their Career Transition

2021 ◽  
pp. 216769682110125
Author(s):  
Petr Hlaďo ◽  
Libor Juhaňák ◽  
Lenka Hloušková ◽  
Bohumíra Lazarová
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Work Values ◽  
Career Transition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Career Adaptability ◽  
Subjective Well Being

The present study examined the relationships of career adaptability and self-esteem with life satisfaction among emerging adults and the mediating effect of work values on these relationships. Five hundred and twelve emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who graduated from vocational education and training were enrolled. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing study variables during their career transition: 2 months before (T1) and 10 months after graduation (T2). The results confirmed a direct and positive effect of self-esteem (T1) on life satisfaction (T2). However, career adaptability (T1) was not directly related to life satisfaction (T2). Additionally, work values (T2) served as a significant mediator between career adaptability (T1) and life satisfaction (T2). The study showed that mastery work values mediated this relationship. These results suggest that potential interventions should focus on increasing career adaptability and self-esteem and on strengthening intrinsic work values to improve emerging adults’ subjective well-being.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document