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Research Article: “Meaning in Life” Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Date Published: 2024-03-04

Abstract:
Background: Loneliness was found to be a commonly experienced feeling among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and is considered to be a high-risk factor for depressive symptoms. Maintaining meaning in life has been found to be a protective resource for mental health among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of an individual’s meaning in life in the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms among older Korean adults. Methods: The data were obtained from a sample of 213 community-dwelling older adults aged over 65. The instruments were the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Results: Loneliness was positively associated with depressive symptoms and negatively associated with the presence of and search for meaning among older adults. The presence of meaning mediated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms but the search for meaning did not. The search for meaning mediated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms through the presence of meaning. Conclusions: Our study findings suggest that efforts to reduce loneliness and improve meaning in life should be undertaken to prevent depressive symptoms among older adults.

Introduction:
The global population is experiencing an unprecedented acceleration in aging, with the proportion of individuals aged 60 years and older expected to surge from 12% in 2015 to 22% in 2050 [1]. Furthermore, South Korea is transitioning into a super-aged society, with the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and over projected to exceed 40% by 2050, up from 17.5% in 2022 [2].

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