Building sense of purpose in older adulthood: Examining the role of supportive relationships

Weston, Sara J.; Lewis, Nathan A; Hill, Patrick L.

doi:10.1080/17439760.2020.1725607

Cited by 36 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Encouragement and guidance from influential others also play a key role in enhancing an individual sense of purpose, self-confidence, and ability to plan for the future (Sharma and De Alba, 2018). It has been confirmed that individual social support positively predicts a sense of purpose (Weston et al, 2020b). However, how does social support affect that sense of purpose?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, awakening and enhancing college students’ sense of purpose can not only give them meaning and power, but also motivate them to study hard and make great achievements. From a personal perspective, factors affecting one’s sense of purpose include personality characteristics, self-identity, and health ( Weston et al, 2020b ). From an environmental perspective, they also include growth background, social support, and social culture ( Bronk, 2014 ; Hill and Weston, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social Support and a Sense of Purpose: The Role of Personal Growth Initiative and Academic Self-Efficacy

Cai

Lian

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Objective: Studies have consistently found a positive relationship between social support and a sense of purpose; however, less is known about the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. The present study bridges this gap by proposing and testing a path model illustrating the mediating effects of personal growth initiative and academic self-efficacy on the linkage between social support and a sense of purpose.Method: A total of 2,085 Chinese college students completed the revised versions of the Social Support, Personal Growth Initiative, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Sense of Purpose Scales.Results: The results show that social support, personal growth initiative, and academic self-efficacy were all significantly associated with a sense of purpose. As predicted, personal growth initiative and academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between social support and a sense of purpose, respectively. The results also support the hypothesized serial mediating effect.Conclusion: Individuals who feel more social support have a higher level of personal growth initiative, their academic self-efficacy is stronger, and their academic self-efficacy further enhances their sense of purpose. Additionally, comparisons among the three indirect effects indicated that the effect of personal growth initiative was significantly greater than those of the other two measures. Thus, it can be concluded that personal initiative plays a greater role in enhancing a sense of purpose. These findings not only help to understand how social support enhances the sense of purpose, but also provide insight into the underlying mechanism.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Support and a Sense of Purpose: The Role of Personal Growth Initiative and Academic Self-Efficacy

Cai

Lian

2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…Furthermore, depressive symptoms include having poor quality sleep (Radloff, 1977), and sense of purpose prospectively predicts a reduced risk for sleep disturbance (Kim et al, 2015). Finally, sense of purpose has been linked to reduced risk for social anxiety (Kashdan and McKnight, 2013), and a greater likelihood for supportive relationships (Weston et al, 2020), which may counteract the disinterest in social engagement associated with depression. Given that activity engagement, social involvement, and sleep all promote healthy cognitive aging (Smith, 2016), sense of purpose appears to be a likely candidate for moderating the risk for cognitive deficits associated with depressive symptoms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sense of Purpose Promotes Resilience to Cognitive Deficits Attributable to Depressive Symptoms

Lewis

Hill

2021

Front. Psychol.

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ObjectiveIndividuals higher in depressive symptoms commonly present with neuropsychological deficits including poorer memory performance. Sense of purpose in life has been shown to promote resilience to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, but it is unclear whether it may also protect against cognitive deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms.MethodCognitive functioning among 4599 older American adults (Mage = 74.33 years, range = 65–104 years, 56.84% female) was examined across a 12-year follow-up period. Depressive symptomatology was assessed at each wave using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multilevel models assessed the influence of depressive symptoms and the interaction with sense of purpose in life on changes in memory performance and mental status.ResultsHigher depressive symptoms were associated with poorer memory performance at baseline, but did not predict rate of change over time. A negative interaction was observed between sense of purpose in life and depressive symptoms such that individuals higher in purpose experienced a less negative association between depressive symptoms and baseline memory performance. No significant interaction of sense of purpose and depressive symptoms was observed on mental status.ConclusionHaving a sense of purpose in life may help protect older adults from memory deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. The present findings underscore the potential for sense of purpose to promote cognitive reserve in older adulthood, allowing individuals to maintain cognitive performance in the face of accruing neurological insults.

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“…[2][3][4][5][6][7] A sense of purpose in life is one promising candidate; it is viewed as a central component of well-being and refers to the extent that people see their lives as having meaning, a sense of direction, and goals. 4,[8][9][10][11][12] It is shaped by social structural factors and changing life circumstances, with ongoing work exploring what the determinants of purpose are, [13][14][15] and whether it can be intervened upon, issues to which we return after reporting our findings. 4,[16][17][18][19] A growing body of research has also observed that having a higher sense of purpose is associated with better: health behaviors (e.g., increased physical activity, increased preventive healthcare use, healthier sleep, reduced drug misuse), 14,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26] biological functioning (e.g., reduced allostatic load, reduced inflammation), [27][28][29] better physical functioning, and reduced risk of disease (e.g., lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment), 14,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and mortality.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2-7 A sense of purpose in life is one promising candidate; it is viewed as a central component of well-being and refers to the extent that people see their lives as having meaning, a sense of direction, and goals. 4,[8][9][10][11][12] It is shaped by social structural factors and changing life circumstances, with ongoing work exploring what the determinants of purpose are, [13][14][15] and whether it can be intervened upon, issues to which we return after reporting our findings. 4,16-19 A…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sense of Purpose in Life and Subsequent Physical, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Health: An Outcome-Wide Approach

et al. 2021

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Purpose: Growing evidence indicates that a higher sense of purpose in life ( purpose) is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases and mortality. However, epidemiological studies have not evaluated if change in purpose is associated with subsequent health and well-being outcomes. Design: We evaluated if positive change in purpose (between t0; 2006/2008 and t1;2010/2012) was associated with better outcomes on 35 indicators of physical health, health behaviors, and psychosocial well-being (at t2;2014/2016). Sample: We used data from 12,998 participants in the Health and Retirement study—a prospective and nationally representative cohort of U.S. adults aged >50. Analysis: We conducted multiple linear-, logistic-, and generalized linear regressions. Results: Over the 4-year follow-up period, people with the highest (versus lowest) purpose had better subsequent physical health outcomes (e.g., 46% reduced risk of mortality (95% CI [0.44, 0.66])), health behaviors (e.g., 13% reduced risk of sleep problems (95% CI [0.77, 0.99])), and psychosocial outcomes (e.g., higher optimism (β = 0.41, 95% CI [0.35, 0.47]), 43% reduced risk of depression (95% CI [0.46, 0.69]), lower loneliness (β = −0.35, 95% CI [−0.41, −0.29])). Importantly, however, purpose was not associated with other physical health outcomes, health behaviors, and social factors. Conclusion: With further research, these results suggest that sense of purpose might be a valuable target for innovative policy and intervention work aimed at improving health and well-being.

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Building sense of purpose in older adulthood: Examining the role of supportive relationships

Cited by 36 publications

References 31 publications

Social Support and a Sense of Purpose: The Role of Personal Growth Initiative and Academic Self-Efficacy

Social Support and a Sense of Purpose: The Role of Personal Growth Initiative and Academic Self-Efficacy

Sense of Purpose Promotes Resilience to Cognitive Deficits Attributable to Depressive Symptoms

Sense of Purpose in Life and Subsequent Physical, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Health: An Outcome-Wide Approach

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