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Title
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Meaning in life and depressive symptoms : a person-oriented approach in residential and community-dwelling older adults
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Author
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Abstract
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| Objectives: In current society, an increasing population of older adults and a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in late life is noticeable. A possible protective resource is Meaning in Life. The objective of this study is to identify from a person-oriented view (a) Meaning in Life-profiles, based on Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning dimensions, and (b) their associations with depressive symptoms. Methods: A sample of 205 residential older adults (M = 83.20 years, SD = 7.26) and 280 community-dwelling older adults (M = 75.98 years, SD = 4.76) completed questionnaires of Meaning in Life and depressive symptoms. First, cluster analyses examined potential Meaning in Life-profiles. Second, analyses of variance tested associations between these distinct profiles and depressive symptoms. Results: In both samples, three distinguishable profiles emerged, a Low Presence Low Search, a High Presence High Search and a High Presence Low Search. Furthermore, older adults with a High Presence Low Search profile witnessed less depressive symptoms, compared to those with a Low Presence Low Search profile. Residential older adults within the High Presence High Search cluster scored in-between the two other clusters for depressive symptoms. However, community-dwelling older adults within this cluster reported similar levels of depressive symptoms as the High Presence Low Search group. Conclusion: Similar Meaning in Life-profiles were detected in residential as well as community-dwelling older adults. In both samples, older adults with a High Presence Low Search profile reported less depressive feelings, pointing to the importance of spontaneously experiencing Meaning in Life in this life stage. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Aging and mental health. - Abington
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Publication
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Abington
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2015
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ISSN
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1360-7863
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DOI
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10.1080/13607863.2014.995589
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Volume/pages
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19
:12
(2015)
, p. 1063-1070
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ISI
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000360694500003
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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