Decline in life satisfaction in old age: Longitudinal evidence for links to distance-to-death
Decline in life satisfaction in old age: Longitudinal evidence for links to distance-to-death
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DOI：
10.1037/0882-7974.23.1.154
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发表时间：
2008-03-01
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Smith, Jacqui
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gerstorf, Denis;Ram, Nilam;Smith, Jacqui
作者使用来自柏林老龄化研究的已故参与者的12年纵向数据（N = 414;首次发病时年龄为70-103岁; M = 87岁，SD = 8.13），研究了老年和高龄个体在生命结束时是否以及如何表现出生活满意度的终末下降。相对于年龄相关的下降，死亡率相关的下降（即，死亡距离）在生活满意度变化的个体间差异中占了更多的方差，并显示出更陡峭的平均下降率，为2倍。通过应用变点生长模型，作者确定了一个点，大约在死亡前4年，在这个点上，相对于终末前阶段，下降的陡度增加了两倍。对于年龄最大的老人（85岁以上），观察到增加了三倍。已建立的死亡率预测因子，包括性别、合并症、痴呆和认知，仅占死亡率相关生活满意度变化的个体间差异的一小部分。作者得出结论，晚年主观幸福感的变化与预测死亡的机制有关，并提出了进一步调查的途径。
Using 12-year longitudinal data from deceased participants of the Berlin Aging Study (N = 414; age 70-103 years, at first occasion; M = 87 years, SD = 8.13), the authors examined whether and how old and very old individuals exhibit terminal decline in reported life satisfaction at the end of life. Relative to age-related decline, mortality-related decline (i.e., distance-to-death) accounted for more variance in interindividual differences in life satisfaction change and revealed steeper average rates of decline, by a factor of 2. By applying change-point growth models, the authors identified a point, about 4 years before death, at which decline showed a two-fold increase in steepness relative to the preterminal phase. For the oldest old (85+ years), a threefold increase was observed. Established mortality predictors, including sex, comorbidities, dementia, and cognition, accounted for only small portions of interindividual differences in mortality-related change in life satisfaction. The authors conclude that late-life changes in subjective well-being are related to mechanisms predicting death and suggest routes for further inquiry.