Positive attitude toward life, emotional expression, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms among centenarians and near-centenarians

Abstract

Objectives: Favorable attitudes, emotions, personality characteristics, and self-rated health have been associated with successful aging in late life. However, less is known regarding these constructs and their relationships to mental health outcomes in the oldest old persons. This study examined cross-sectional relationships of these psychological factors to depressive symptoms in centenarians and near-centenarians.

Methods: A selected sample of Ashkenazi Jewish older adults aged 98–107 (n = 54, 78% female) without significant cognitive impairment participated. Cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental Status Examination, positive attitude toward life and emotional expression by the Personality Outlook Profile Scale (POPS), self-rated health by participants' subjective rating of their present health, and depressive symptoms by the Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results: Results demonstrated inverse associations of the positive attitude toward life domain of the POPS and self-rated health with participants' levels of depressive symptoms even after adjusting for the effects of history of medical illnesses, cognitive function, and demographic variables. Additionally, participants with high levels of care showed higher levels of depressive symptoms. Path analysis supported the partially mediating role of positive attitude toward life in the relationship between self-rated health and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: These findings emphasized the important roles of positive attitudes and emotions as well as self-rated health in mental health outcomes in the oldest old. Although, limited by its cross-sectional design, findings suggest these psychological factors may exert protective effects on mental health outcomes in advanced age.

Keywords:

• positive attitude
• personality
• depression
• self-rated health
• successful aging

Acknowledgements

We thank many centenarians and near-centenarians and their families for their dedication and contribution to this study. We also thank Mr William Greiner, the research nurse, and other members of the Longevity Genes Project for their contributions and support. This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Health (AG024391; AG027734; AG17242; AG038072) and the Glenn Center for the Biology of Human Aging.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Health [Grant number AG024391], [Grant number AG027734], [Grant number AG17242], [Grant number AG038072]; Glenn Center for the Biology of Human Aging.