Successful Aging and Happiness Level in the Elderly: The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy.
Özlem Özlü, Songül Duran
PMID 40084799WHAT IT FOUND
In nursing home residents, higher self-efficacy was linked to both greater happiness and more successful aging.
Self-efficacy partially explained the link between aging well and happiness. This association does not prove that boosting self-efficacy causes better outcomes.
Key findings
01Successful aging scores correlated moderately and positively with happiness scores (r = 0.536, p < 0.00).
02General self-efficacy correlated moderately and positively with successful aging (r = 0.667, p < 0.00) and with happiness (r = 0.547, p < 0.00).
03General self-efficacy had a partial mediating role in the relationship between successful aging and happiness, weakening the direct relationship by 42.3%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single nursing home, so results cannot be generalised to other institutions or community-dwelling elderly. The cross-sectional design means relationships were observed at one point in time, so causality cannot be determined (e.g., whether self-efficacy leads to happiness or vice versa). Data collection occurred during the 2022 period, which may have been influenced by unique social and health dynamics related to the ongoing pandemic. Participants were required to have an MMSE score of 18 or higher, excluding those with more severe cognitive impairment.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-U.S. government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that implementing interventions to increase self-efficacy will directly cause an increase in happiness or successful aging. This is a cross-sectional survey showing associations and partial mediation, not a randomized trial proving that changing self-efficacy changes outcomes.