title: In the End It All Makes Sense: Meaning in Life at Either End of the Adult Lifespan.
abstract: This study explored psychological well-being in Australian adults with a particular focus on meaning in life. Older adults (N = 57) reported lower levels of search for meaning and higher levels of presence of meaning than young adults (N = 208) suggesting that both groups were able to distinguish between the two aspects of meaning. For older adults, higher presence was associated with better mental health and well-being outcomes, regardless of level of search. For the young adults, higher presence and lower search was associated with better outcomes. These results suggest that presence of meaning is an important aspect of well-being for older adults living in a high income English-speaking country and may be an important focus when working with depressed or anxious older adults, while both presence of, and search for meaning may be more meaningful therapeutic targets when working with depressed or anxious younger adults. Theoretical implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Annabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battersby
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia lisajp@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: meaning in life; older adults; well-being; young adults