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A Salutogenic Analysis of the Well-Being Paradox in Older Age

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  • Ulrich Wiesmann
  • Hans-Joachim Hannich

Abstract

Following Antonovsky’s salutogenic perspective, we investigate to what extent the sense of coherence and psychological resources mediate the physical health-mental health relationship, assuming that these resilience factors mutually influence each other. In our questionnaire study, 387 older persons at the mean age of 73.8 years volunteered. We assessed physical health appraisals, sense of coherence components (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness), psychological resources (self-efficacy and self-esteem) and mental health (subjective well-being, depressive mood, and psychological health). We used structural equation modeling with latent variables and a bootstrapping method to test hypothesized mediation chains. We found (a) a significant direct effect of physical health on mental health, (b) two significant specific indirect effects of physical health on mental health, substantiating that the sense of coherence was a stronger mediator than psychological resources, and (c) two significant 3-path mediated effects. Physical health is profoundly associated with mental health. However, resilience factors such as the sense of coherence and psychological resources enable older people to maintain mental health when confronted with chronic physical health problems. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Wiesmann & Hans-Joachim Hannich, 2014. "A Salutogenic Analysis of the Well-Being Paradox in Older Age," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 339-355, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:15:y:2014:i:2:p:339-355
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-013-9425-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bullinger, Monika, 1995. "German translation and psychometric testing of the SF-36 Health Survey: Preliminary results from the IQOLA project," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1359-1366, November.
    2. R. Veenhoven, 2008. "Healthy happiness: effects of happiness on physical health and the consequences for preventive health care," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 449-469, September.
    3. Brendan Baird & Richard Lucas & M. Donnellan, 2010. "Life Satisfaction Across the Lifespan: Findings from Two Nationally Representative Panel Studies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 99(2), pages 183-203, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ulrich Wiesmann & Ilka Ballas & Hans-Joachim Hannich, 2018. "Sense of Coherence, Time Perspective and Positive Aging," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 817-839, March.
    2. Raquel Lara & Mᵃ Luisa Vázquez & Adelaida Ogallar & Débora Godoy-Izquierdo, 2020. "Psychosocial Resources for Hedonic Balance, Life Satisfaction and Happiness in the Elderly: A Path Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Kun Wang & Yan Li & Tingran Zhang & Jiong Luo, 2022. "The Relationship among College Students’ Physical Exercise, Self-Efficacy, Emotional Intelligence, and Subjective Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Fuzhen Xu & Mengmeng Wang & Qingyao Zhang & Tingting Xing & Wei Cui, 2021. "The Association Between Maternal Control and Sense of Coherence in Chinese Adolescents: Self-Efficacy as a Mediator and Stressful Life Events as a Moderator," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2721-2738, August.

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