Abstract
Objectives: The goal of the study was to find out to what extent the Czech elderly perceive their lifes as meaningful, to verify the relation between meaning in life and depression and to analyse predictors of meaning in life. Subjects and setting: 252 participants, aged 75 to 98 years from 16 localities in the Czech Republic.
The seniors lived at home, in homes for seniors or in nursing homes. Meaning in life was measured by the Logo-test, depression was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale-15.
Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents were assesed too. Hypothesis: Depression has an important effect on level of meaning in life in the elderly.
Statistical analyses: Statistical analyses included descriptive analysis, χ2 test of independence with mean difference significant at the 0,05 level, analyses of variance One-Way ANOVA, multiple comparisons (Bonferroni) and regression analysis. Results: In the sample of seniors in the present study more persons reached with high level of meaning in life than in the foreign population norms of the Logo-test.
The total value of score of the Logo-test was 10,04 +- 4,62 (scale 0-42). The low level of meaning in life was detected in older elderly, in seniors with lower education, in previous worker and administrative professions, in solitary and disable old persons.
The total value of GDS score was 4,19 +- 3,51 (scale 0-15). The prevalence of depression was also significantly associated with previous profession and disability.
The most important predictor of low level of meaning in life was depression. The previous profession was also important for male respondents.
The other demographic variables examined in this study accounted for little variance in meaning in life. Study limitation: The pharmacotherapy of depression in seniors wasn't analysed.