Structural Equation Modeling of Psychological Well-Being in Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Death Anxiety in the Relationship Between Wisdom and Empty Nest Syndrome
Keywords:
Psychological well, being, Wisdom, Empty nest, Death anxiety, ElderlyAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate a structural equation model of psychological well-being in older adults based on wisdom and Empty Nest Syndrome, with death anxiety as a mediating variable.
Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of older adults aged 60–75 years living in Tehran in 2025, from whom 200 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using Ryff’s Short Form Psychological Well-Being Scale, Ardelt’s Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale, Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale, and the Empty Nest Syndrome Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-26 and AMOS-26 at descriptive and inferential levels. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model, and the significance of indirect effects was examined using the bootstrap method with 5,000 resamples.
Findings: The results indicated that wisdom had a significant positive direct effect on psychological well-being (β=0.28, p<0.001), whereas Empty Nest Syndrome (β=-0.21, p=0.013) and death anxiety (β=-0.60, p<0.001) had significant negative direct effects on psychological well-being. Wisdom had a significant negative effect on death anxiety (β=-0.18, p<0.001), while Empty Nest Syndrome showed a significant positive effect on death anxiety (β=0.22, p<0.001). Bootstrap analyses confirmed significant indirect effects of wisdom (β=0.11, p<0.001) and Empty Nest Syndrome (β=-0.13, p=0.003) on psychological well-being through death anxiety. Furthermore, model fit indices (CFI=0.98, GFI=0.96, IFI=0.98, RMSEA=0.07, and χ²/df=2.16) supported the adequacy of the proposed structural model.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that wisdom functions as a protective factor, whereas Empty Nest Syndrome acts as a risk factor in explaining psychological well-being among older adults. Moreover, death anxiety serves as a significant psychological mechanism linking these variables to well-being. Therefore, interventions aimed at enhancing wisdom and reducing death anxiety may contribute substantially to improving psychological well-being in later life.
Downloads
References
Ardelt, M., & Jeste, D. V. (2018). Wisdom and Hard Times: The Ameliorating Effect of Wisdom on the Negative Association between Adverse Life Events and Well-Being. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 73(8), 1374-1383. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbw137
Bakhshi, N., Pashang, S., Jafari, N., & Ghorban Shiroudi, S. (2020). Providing a Model of Psychological Well-Being in Older Adults Based on Life Expectancy with the Mediating Role of Death Anxiety. Iranian Journal of Health Education and Health Promotion, 8(3), 283-293. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijhehp.8.3.283
Bougea, A., Despoti, A., & Vasilopoulos, E. (2019). Empty-Nest-Related Psychosocial Stress: Conceptual Issues, Future Directions in Economic Crisis. Psychiatriki, 30(4), 329-338. https://doi.org/10.22365/jpsych.2019.304.329
Chen, Z., Zhu, M., Zheng, L., & Xie, X. (2022). Personal Wisdom and Quality of Life among Chinese Older Adults. Journal of Health Psychology, 27(7), 1646-1658. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105321999093
Fortner, B. V., Neimeyer, R. A., & Rybarczyk, B. (2018). Correlates of Death Anxiety in Older Adults: A Comprehensive Review. In Death Attitudes and the Older Adult (pp. 95-109). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315784489-6
Gluck, J. (2024). Wisdom and Aging. Current opinion in psychology, 55, 101742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101742
Hernandez, R., Bassett, S. M., Boughton, S. W., Schuette, S. A., Shiu, E. W., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2018). Psychological Well-Being and Physical Health: Associations, Mechanisms, and Future Directions. Emotion Review, 10(1), 18-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073917697824
Khashaman, F., Bahmani, B., & Harouni, G. G. (2025). Development and Investigation of the Validity and Reliability of Empty Nest Syndrome Questionnaire among the Elderly. Journal of Rehabilitation, 26(1), 88-117. http://rehabilitationj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-3367-fa.html
Luo, H., & Wang, T. (2025). A Network Analysis of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms among Empty Nesters in China. Frontiers in psychology, 16, 1667813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1667813
Maddux, J. E. (2017). Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction: An Introduction to Conceptions, Theories, and Measures. In Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction (pp. 3-31). Routledge.
Mansoor, A., & Hasan, S. S. (2019). Empty Nest Syndrome and Psychological Wellbeing among Middle Aged Adults. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 17(1), 55-60.
Najm-Doost Sedehi, M., Borjali, A., Poursharifi, H., Kharasqian Mojembari, A., & Seyrafi, M. R. (2018). The Relationship of Hope and Sense of Coherence with Psychological Well-Being in Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Attitude toward Death. Piri Psychology, 4(3), 179-195.
Oxman, T. E. (2018). Reflections on Aging and Wisdom. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(11), 1108-1118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2018.07.009
Rashidi, V., Yaghoubi, R., Norouzi, K., Moradi, S., & Tolaei, H. (2018). Providing a Causal Model Based on Wisdom: Explaining the Mediation of Flourishing in Educational Systems Research. Journal of Research in Educational Systems, 12(41), 21-40.
Ryff, C. D. (2014). Psychological Well-Being Revisited: Advances in the Science and Practice of Eudaimonia. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 83(1), 10-28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000353263
Sarokhani, D., Parvareh, M., Hasanpour Dehkordi, A., Sayehmiri, K., & Moghimbeigi, A. (2018). Prevalence of Depression among Iranian Elderly: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 13(1), 55-64.
Sebea, D. E., El-Geneidy, M. M., Abd-Elsalam, R. M., & Dawood, S. S. (2021). Factors Associated with Death Anxiety among Community Dwelling Older Adults. Alexandria Scientific Nursing Journal, 23(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.21608/asalexu.2021.206044
Semenova, V., & Stadtlander, L. (2016). Death Anxiety, Depression, and Coping in Family Caregivers. Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, 10(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.5590/JSBHS.2016.10.1.05
Sharif Nia, H., Pahlevan Sharif, S., Goudarzian, A. H., Haghdoost, A. A., Ebadi, A., & Soleimani, M. A. (2016). An Evaluation of Psychometric Properties of the Templer's Death Anxiety Scale-Extended among a Sample of Iranian Chemical Warfare Veterans. Journal of Hayat, 22(3), 229-244. http://hayat.tums.ac.ir/article-1-1536-fa.html
Zahedi Bidgol, Z., Tagharrobi, Z., Sooki, Z., & Sharifi, K. (2020). Death Anxiety and Its Predictors among Older Adults. Journal of Holistic Nursing And Midwifery, 30(2), 101-110. https://doi.org/10.32598/jhnm.30.2.101
Downloads
Publication Timeline
- Submitted
- Revised
- Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Parnia Sadeghi, Zohreh Latifi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
