Predicting Well-Being Among the Elderly: The Role of Coping Strategies

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology Vol. 11; p. 616
• Main Authors: Galiana, Laura, Tomás, José M, Fernández, Irene, Oliver, Amparo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 03.04.2020
• Subjects: elderly; emotion-focused coping strategies; problem-focused coping strategies; psychological well-being; Psychology; subjective well-being; problem-focused coping strategies; psychological well-being; elderly; emotion-focused coping strategies; subjective well-being
• ISSN: 1664-1078; 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00616

This study aims to offer a wider view on the role of coping strategies on elderly's well-being by means of literature-based competitive structural equation models (SEMs). 857 older adults were surveyed. Measures included Ryff's scales of Psychological Well-being and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Competitive SEMs were tested. In the retained model, the religious coping dimension was removed, and the remaining dimensions were defined by problem- and emotion-focused coping, which explained both psychological and subjective well-being factors (χ (46) = 165.910, < 0.001; CFI = 0.906; GFI = 0.957; RMSEA = 0.058 [0.048,0.067]). Results pointed to the relevance of coping strategies for achieving adequate well-being, with emotion-focused coping strategies being the ones with negative and highest predictive power over the two dimensions of well-being. Interventions aiming at improving old people's well-being should, put their focus on decreasing the use of emotion-coping strategies.