Resilience, Contentment, and Purpose in Life as Psychological Predictors of Healthy Aging among Older Adults

Abstract

The present study explored the psychological foundations of healthy aging, focusing on the interrelationship among psychological resilience, purpose in life, and contentment in older adults. A total of 200 participants aged 60 years and above were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS; Smith et al., 2008), the Life Engagement Test (LET; Scheier et al., 2006), and the Contentment with Life Assessment Scale (CLAS; Lavallee et al., 2007). Descriptive statistics revealed moderate to high mean scores for resilience (M = 20.95, SD = 5.27), purpose in life (M = 22.22, SD = 3.98), and contentment (M = 24.98, SD = 6.42). Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships among the three variables—contentment with resilience (r = .531, p < .01) and purpose in life (r = .586, p < .01). Multiple regression analysis showed that psychological resilience (β = .312, p < .001) and purpose in life (β = .425, p < .001) significantly predicted contentment, explaining 41.5% of the variance (R² = .415). These findings suggest that higher levels of resilience and purpose contribute to greater life contentment, thereby promoting healthy psychological aging. The study highlights the need to strengthen resilience and purposeful engagement among older adults to enhance overall well-being.