Relationship Between Mental Health and the Education Level in Elderly People: Mediation of Leisure Attitude

Pedro Belo; Esperanza Navarro-Pardo; Ricardo Pocinho; Pedro Carrana; Cristovao Margarido

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00573

Relationship Between Mental Health and the Education Level in Elderly People: Mediation of Leisure Attitude

Front Psychol. 2020 Apr 1:11:573. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00573. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Pedro Belo¹, Esperanza Navarro-Pardo², Ricardo Pocinho³, Pedro Carrana⁴, Cristovao Margarido³

Affiliations

¹ R&D Unit, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal.
² Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
³ Department of Social Sciences, School of Education and Social Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal.
⁴ Department of Engineering and Industrial Management, Coimbra Institute of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.

Abstract

Purpose: The present study intends to explore the influence of education on the mental health of retired people and the mediating role of a leisure attitude in this relationship.

Design/methodology: The sample was simple random, and a confidentiality agreement was established. The sample was composed of 403 Portuguese participants (37.2% male; 62.8% female). The participants completed the MHI and the LAS.

Findings: The hypothesized mediation model showed that a leisure attitude mediated the association between education and well-being. In addition, higher levels of distress were found in participants with higher levels of education.

Scientific contribution: Our results suggest that old-aged people with high education and a more positive leisure attitude have a better psychological adjustment concerning well-being. Also, a higher level of education can lead to a better perception of aging changes (physical, life, profession).

Keywords: education level; elderly; leisure attitude; mediation model; psychological well-being.