The relationship between loneliness, solitude, negative emotional dampening, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction and church attendance in religious older adults.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between several factors of psychological well-being (i.e. loneliness, depression and life satisfaction) and solitude, emotional dampening and church attendance in religious older adults. Using a sample of religious Dutch older adults, aged 70 and over, (N = 145) several hierarchical multiple regression analyses were carried out. Loneliness, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction were the dependent variables. Results showed that church attendance was associated with less loneliness, but it did not predict depression or life satisfaction. A strong bidirectional association was also found between loneliness and depression. However, both solitude and emotional dampening did not significantly predict any of the outcome variables. Furthermore, self-rated health came forward as a significant predictor of all three factors of psychological well-being. In line with the previous literature, the findings highlighted the importance of church attendance, and the strong relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Thus, both should be considered in the treatment of religious older adults, for example by encouraging them maintain their affiliations with religious communities. However, there were several key limitations, that are discussed along with the implications of these findings. Future research is necessary. Not only to further examine the shown associations found in this research, but also to evaluate the unexpected results (e.g. the absence of any influence of solitude and emotional dampening). In addition, future research should try to identify the processes behind the associations or lack thereof.