The Gerontologist, Vol 37, Issue 6 709-716, Copyright © 1997 by The Gerontological Society of America
Personal meaning, optimism, and choice: existential predictors of depression in community and institutional elderly
GT Reker
Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. [email protected]
The psychosocial model of mental health posits that late-life depression
arises from the loss of self-esteem, loss of meaningful roles, loss of
significant others, and diminished social contacts. This study examined the
unique, combined, and interactive contribution of existential variables
(personal meaning, choice/responsibleness, optimism) and traditional
measures (social resources, physical health) as predictors of depression in
institutionalized and community-residing older adults, average age 77.8
years. Using multiple hierarchical regression, the results showed that
choice/responsibleness, social resources, and physical health predicted
depression in community elderly; personal meaning, optimism, social
resources, and physical health predicted depression in institutionalized
elderly. In both samples, the existential variables accounted for unique
variance in depression over and above that accounted for by traditional
measures. The important role of existential constructs in transcending
personal and social losses and feelings of depression are discussed.
