The role of meaning in life in community-dwelling older adults with depression and relationship to other risk factors

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the association of Meaning in Life (MiL) with sociodemographic and physical factors, and its association with depression in older people.

Method: A cross-sectional survey with a sample of N = 2104 older adults from communities of four European countries was conducted, using an age-appropriate interview for the diagnosis of depression and the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMiLE) questionnaire to assess MiL.

Results: Overall, MiL was particularly low in old male participants, in older people from Ferrara (Italy), those with a lower religious affiliation, fewer social contacts, and poorer physical health. Furthermore, younger old age (65–69 compared to 80–84 year olds), female gender, being married, living in Geneva and poorer physical health were significantly associated with a higher risk for depression. In addition, lower MiL significantly increased the likelihood to suffer from depression in older people. An interaction effect of study center and MiL also emerged: with decreasing MiL the risk for depression significantly increases in Hamburg compared to the other study centers.

Conclusion: This study underlines the association of MiL and depression in old age. Integration of meaning-specific aspects in treatment for older adults with depression may be promising.

KEYWORDS:

• Depression
• meaning
• elderly
• age-appropriate diagnostic assessment

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the European Commission (Grant No: 223105) within the 7th Framework Research Program of the EU. We gratefully thank all participants and all interviewers in our study.

Disclosure statement

None.

Additional information

Funding

European Commission [grant number 223105].