title: Prospective associations between unforgiveness and physical health and positive mediating mechanisms in a nationally representative sample of older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the prospective association between unforgiveness and self-reported physical health and potential positive psychological mediators of this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were a national sample of 1024 USA's adults of ages 66 years and older. Data were collected at two time points separated by three years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of trait unforgiveness, self-rated physical health, socio-demographics, health behaviours and positive psychological traits (e.g. life satisfaction, self-esteem) were included in a comprehensive survey known as the 'Religion, Aging, and Health Survey.'
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that unforgiveness was prospectively associated with declines in self-reported physical health three years later, and poor initial self-reported health status did not predict increases in unforgiveness across time. Furthermore, the prospective association of unforgiveness with self-reported health was mediated by a latent positive psychological traits variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm cross-sectional findings suggesting that unforgiveness is related to health. The present study also suggests that unforgiveness has a prospective, but not reciprocal, association with self-reported physical health. Unforgiveness may have its association with self-reported physical health through its interruption of other positive traits that typically confer health benefits.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Grinnell College , Grinnell , IA , USA.
authors.forename: Asani H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Seawell
authors.forename: Loren L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Toussaint
authors.forename: Alyssa C D
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cheadle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D061347:Forgiveness / Q000502:physiology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D014481:United States