The Relationship Between Self-Actualization and Depression in Later Life Of a Adult

This quantitative study investigated the relationship between late-life depression (LLD)

and self-actualization (SA). Furthermore, it examined whether SA moderated the relationships

between LLD and its correlates, subjective health, grief, and social support. According to the

National Institute of Mental Health (2023), 6.5 million older adults over 65 years of age

experience depression. A vast array of literature on late-life depression (LLD) has focused on

medical, social, and psychological risk factors and outcomes such as illness, loneliness, history

of mental illness, and grief. Past studies have examined the relationship between depression and

various predictors such as gender, education, poverty, heart disease, cancer, disability,

loneliness, grief, pessimism, rumination, negative cognitions, and personality types. However,

few studies have examined the relationship between depression and one's perception of selfactualization

(SA), specifically employing a sample of older adults.

A life span and humanistic theoretical perspective informed the foundation of the study.

A self-administered cross-sectional survey with 48 items was employed. Participants were

recruited from adult day care centers and online Facebook groups for older adults. The sample

was comprised of 112 participants age 65 and over. A multiple regression analysis controlling

for age, gender, and marital status determined that self-actualization explained 18% of the

variance in LLD (p

that SA moderated 38% of the relationship between subjective health and LLD (p

had no significant effect on the relationships between LLD and grief or between LLD and

social support. The results contribute to an understanding of the psychosocial complexities that

occur later in life, suggesting that older adults who suffer from depression may also self-report

concerns about their unfulfilled potential. The results suggest the need for further research on incorporating SA into assessment and intervention for LLD. The study offers implications

for geriatric mental health theory, research, and practice, the importance of promoting

lifelong learning for older adults and future directions for public awareness and professional

education initiatives.