Levels of and changes in life satisfaction predict mortality hazards: Disentangling the role of physical health, perceived control, and social orientation.

Abstract

It is well-documented that well-being typically evinces precipitous decrements at the end of life. However, research has primarily taken a postdictive approach by knowing the outcome (date of death) and aligning in retrospect how well-being has changed for people with documented death events. In the present study, we made use of a predictive approach by examining whether and how levels of and changes in life satisfaction prospectively predict mortality hazards and delineate the role of contributing factors, including health, perceived control, and social orientation. To do so, we applied shared parameter growth-survival models to 20-year longitudinal data from 10,597 participants (n = 1,560 or 15% deceased; age at baseline: M = 44 years, SD = 17, range: 18–98 years) from the national German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). Our findings showed that lower levels and steeper declines of life satisfaction each uniquely predicted higher mortality risks. Results also reveal moderating effects of age and perceived control: Life satisfaction levels and changes had stronger predictive effects for mortality hazards among older adults. Perceived control is associated with lower mortality hazards; however, this effect is diminished for those who experience accelerated life satisfaction decline. Variance decomposition suggests that predictive effects of life satisfaction trajectories were partially unique (3–6%) and partially shared with physical health, perceived control, and social orientation (17–19 %). Our discussion focuses on the strengths and challenges of a predictive approach to link developmental changes (in life satisfaction) to mortality hazards and considers implications of our findings for healthy aging.

Life satisfaction of informal care recipients: Findings from the German Ageing Survey

“…Furthermore, our study gives first evidence on the association of receipt of informal care and life satisfaction which is a central aspect of life and predictive of mortality (Hulur et al, 2017;Mete, 2005). The results indicate that informal care could have negative effects for the care recipient.…”

“…Life satisfaction is also associated with various beneficial factors, such as health and social integration (Diener & Seligman, 2004), and has repeatedly been shown to be a good predictor of mortality (Hulur et al, 2017;Mete, 2005). Thus, we think it is of central importance to investigate the influence the receipt of informal care has on the life satisfaction of care recipients.…”

The Factors Associated with 3-Year Mortality Stratified by Physical and Mental Multimorbidity and Area of Residence Deprivation in Primary Care Community-Living Older Adults

“…If the impact of multimorbidity on excess mortality is known, few studies have examined the factors associated with mortality according to physical and mental multimorbidity and area-level socioeconomic status. To our knowledge, rare are the studies that have considered simultaneously important factors such as health behaviors (smoking and physical activity) (Whitley et al, 2014), psychosocial factors (satisfaction with life and social support) (Hülür et al, 2017;Holt-Lunstad et al, 2010), and health services use (Gaulin et al, 2019) in predicting mortality. Furthermore, most studies involved adults from the general population (Willadsen et al, 2018), selected populations as US veterans (Chwastiak et al, 2010), or older adults with cognitive impairment (Schiltz et al, 2019).…”

Benefits of Grandparental Caregiving in Chinese Older Adults: Reduced Lonely Dissatisfaction as a Mediator

“…Our results provided some preliminary insights, suggesting that reduced lonely dissatisfaction associated with grandparental caregiving (Bengtson, 2001;Uhlenberg, 2009) might be one of the reasons. Much of the existing research has demonstrated that loneliness and life dissatisfaction could have dramatic negative effect on older adults' physical and mental health (Coyle and Dugan, 2012;Guven and Saloumidis, 2014;Marum et al, 2014;Hülür et al, 2017). Such interactions with children as those brought about by grandparental caregiving can allow older adults to maintain an active lifestyle and strengthen intergenerational ties with grandchildren, which, in turn, results in enhanced physical and mental health (Balukonis et al, 2008;Chen et al, 2011).…”