Loneliness and quality of life among older adults: the mediating role of resilience

TL;DR

This study explores how resilience can help reduce loneliness and improve quality of life in older adults living in institutional settings.

Contribution

The study identifies resilience as a mediator between loneliness and quality of life in institutionalized older adults.

Findings

Resilience significantly mediates the relationship between loneliness and quality of life in older adults.

Higher resilience is associated with lower loneliness and better quality of life.

Loneliness does not directly affect quality of life but does so indirectly through resilience.

Abstract

Loneliness is a significant psychosocial issue among older adults, particularly for those living in institutional setting, as it affects their quality of life. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between loneliness and quality of life among Albanian older adults living in institutional settings.

A total of 115 older adults residing in institutions participated in the study. All of them completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Resilience Scale. A mediation model was performed to test the hypothesis that resilience mediates the effect of loneliness on quality of life in older adults living in institutions.

The results indicate that the relationship between loneliness and quality of life is mediated by resilience. Although a negative correlation was found between loneliness and quality of life among institutionalized older adults, loneliness did not have a direct effect on quality of life. Instead, resilience played a significant mediating role, such that individuals with higher levels of resilience experienced lower levels of loneliness and reported a better quality of life.

These findings suggest the importance of incorporating the resilience variable in the development and implementation of prevention and treatment programs for reducing loneliness and improving the quality of life in older adults.

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