Pennsylvania State University and German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Berlin, Germany
psychology
Description
Pennsylvania State University and German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Berlin, Germany
Well-being development at the end of life is often characterized by steep deteriorations, but individual
differences in these terminal declines are substantial and not yet well understood. This study moved
beyond typical consideration of health predictors and explored the role of social orientation and
engagement. To do so, we used social variables at the behavioral level (self-ratings of social participation) and the motivational level (valuing social and family goals), assessed 2 to 4 years before death. We
applied single- and multiphase growth models to up to 27-year annual longitudinal data from 2,910 now
deceased participants of the nation-wide German Socio-Economic Panel Study (Mage at death 74 years;
SD 14; 48% women). Results revealed that leading a socially active life and prioritizing social goals
in late life were independently associated with higher late-life well-being, less pronounced late-life
decline, and a later onset of terminal decline. Significant interaction effects suggested that the combination of (reduced) social participation and (lowered) social goals magnifies the effects of each other.
Findings also indicated that less decline in social participation was associated with less severe rates and
a later onset of well-being decline. We found little evidence that valuing family goals is associated with
late-life trajectories of well-being. Associations were independent of key correlates of well-being and
mortality, including age at death, gender, education, disability, hospital stays, and goals in other life
domains. We discuss possible pathways by which maintaining social orientation into late life may help
mitigate terminal decline in well-being
