Social Psychiatry, Vol. 51 No. 2, 2023.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2023.101
Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Older People: What Is Crucial for Life Satisfaction in Older Age?
Ivana Tucak Junaković
orcid.org/0000-0003-2166-1089
; Department of Psychology, University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
Abstract
Life satisfaction is one of the key indicators of quality of life and an indicator of successful coping with various life
challenges and losses in the ageing process. Therefore, in the context of the continuous increase in life expectancy and the
proportion of older people in the population, it is becoming increasingly important to discover the key determinants of their
life satisfaction, especially those which are subject to interventions. The aim of this study was to examine to what extent
different groups of potential predictors (sociodemographic, health, functional, psychological, and social) contribute to the
explanation of individual differences in life satisfaction among older people. The study was conducted on a convenience
community dwelling sample of 790 older people aged between 65 and 98 years (M = 73.97 years, SD = 6.58) from different
geographical regions in the Republic of Croatia, 460 of them being women (58.23%). The questionnaires which included
instruments for examining key constructs were applied individually. The results of regression analyses showed that, among
the examined potential predictors, perceived financial status, functional ability, mental health, optimism, resilience, and
social support significantly contributed to the explanation of life satisfaction. In that context, mental health and perceived
financial status proved to be the best predictors of life satisfaction among elderly respondents. Public policies, public health
programmes and psychosocial interventions should focus on these and other factors that facilitate the adjustment of older
people and contribute to their life satisfaction.
Keywords
Life Satisfaction; Mental Health; Finances; Social Support; Older People
Hrčak ID:
311608
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2023.
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