Positive Mental Health and Well-being Among Seniors in the Central Region of Malaysia

The number of elderly people is increasing globally, and Malaysia officially became an aging nation in 2020. While significant efforts have been made to ensure the welfare, physical health, and residential facilities for this segment of society, there is a lack of concerted effort in determining their mental well-being. Mental well-being is a crucial aspect of overall well-being since an individual’s mental activity plays a vital role in achieving a balanced state of well-being. Nonetheless, plans and discussions on the elderly have commonly focused on the societal burden of their longevity in terms of health and economics. Besides, the public commonly regards the elderly as a non-contributing segment, particularly from an economic standpoint. In addressing this, a multidimensional model that includes various indicators is needed to promote positive aging. Therefore, this research intends to identify the factors that contribute to the mental well-being of the elderly by targeting respondents from the Central Region of Malaysia through purposive sampling. The mental well-being of the participants was assessed by the structured WHO Quality of Life questionnaire, while factors related to positive aging were measured based on the Self-Determination Theory. A total of one hundred structured questionnaires were administered, with 89 deemed usable for analysis. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 30, revealing that only competence and autonomy significantly influence mental health.