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KMID : 0379220190390020363
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Journal of Korea Gerontological Society
2019 Volume.39 No. 2 p.363 ~ p.388
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The Influence of Subjective Age on Subjective Well-Being and Depression in Middle-Aged and the Elderly: The Mediating Effect of Meaning in Life
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Lee Eun-Byul
Noh Soo-Rim
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Abstract
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This study examined the influence of subjective age on subjective well-being and depression, and the mediating effect of meaning in life. A survey of 394 adults aged 40 or older completed a questionnaire concerning subjective age perception, meaning in life, subjective well-being, and depression. The main results are summarized as follows. First, the analysis of subjective age according to the sociodemographic variables showed that middle-aged and elderly people, who were highly educated and had good perceived health status, felt themselves younger than their counterparts did. Second, a young subjective age had a positive effect on meaning in life and subjective well-being while negatively influencing depression. Third, meaning in life significantly mediated the relationship among subjective age, subjective well-being, and depression. In other words, the younger the middle- and old-aged adults perceived themselves, the more meaning they found in life, which led to higher subjective well-being and lower depression. These findings suggest that, as people get older, perceiving themselves as younger than their chronological age can protect their mental health, and meaning in life plays an important role in the process.
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KEYWORD
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midlife, later life, subjective age, meaning in life, subjective well-being, depression
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