Life Satisfaction and Depression in the Oldest Old: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the effect of individual differences and family variables on life satisfaction and depression in the oldest old compared with the young-old. A total of 1,799 cases from an 8-year period of the Korean Welfare Panel Study (2006-2013) were analyzed. A key finding was that life satisfaction significantly increased with time for the two groups of older adults while depression decreased. Moreover, family relationship satisfaction significantly affected both life satisfaction and depression in both groups. However, its impact was stronger for the oldest old. Finally, individual difference variables, that is, objective life conditions, such as gender, education, and religion, did not have a significant impact on life satisfaction or depression in the oldest old. The results suggest that the oldest old not only face death but also experience continuous growth from a gerotranscendence perspective.

Keywords: depressive symptoms; gerotranscendence; life satisfaction; longitudinalstudy; oldest old.