Longitudinal effect of gerotranscendence on the mental health of community-dwelling older adults

Focusing buffering effect of gerotranscendence for the negative effect of disease and bereavement events

Abstract

  This study investigated the longitudinal effect of gerotranscendence in buffering the decline in mental health well-being due to a major illness or bereavement among older adults, using longitudinal data. Two central location surveys were conducted three to four years apart with community-dwelling older adults. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine whether baseline gerotranscendence and the experience of a major illness or bereavement event from baseline to follow-up affected follow-up mental health well-being adjusting by baseline mental health well-being and other factors.

  The results of the analysis revealed that regardless of the events experienced, if gerotranscendence was high, the follow-up mental health well-being was significantly higher. Further, it was significantly demonstrated that baseline gerotranscendence intervened only in old-old adults in buffering the decline in mental health well-being when they experienced “bereavement of a sibling.”

  From these results, we discovered that when gerotranscendence is high, the other psychiatric health parameters are good regardless of age group, illness, or bereavement events and their type. The buffer effect of gerotranscendence was observed only for limited events. These results suggested that gerotranscendence may have a comprehensively elevating function for health well-being of older adults, rather than a situation-specific one.