Avaliação Psicológica
Print version ISSN 1677-0471On-line version ISSN 2175-3431
Abstract
FERREIRA, Heloisa Gonçalves; BARROSO, Sabrina Martins and LIMA, Margarida Maria Baptista Mendes Pedroso de. Pleasant events as predictors of effects of older adults’ mental health. Aval. psicol. [online]. 2023, vol.22, n.4, pp.405-412. Epub Dec 02, 2024. ISSN 1677-0471. https://doi.org/10.15689/ap.2023.2204.25040.10.
Mental health is a fundamental right, however, the mental health of the older population still does not receive sufficient attention. This study investigated whether participation in various types of potentially pleasant events predicts positive and negative mental health outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic, health, and psychological variables. A total of 156 non-institutionalized Brazilian older adults without diagnosed cognitive impairments participated in the study. All participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pfeffer Index, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Brazilian Loneliness Scale, the Life Satisfaction Scale, and the Brazilian version of the California Older Person Pleasant Events Schedule. The results indicated that involvement in practical activities predicted higher levels of life satisfaction. Engaging in social activities was associated with lower levels of depression, while participation in intellectual activities was associated with lower levels of loneliness. Pleasant events can be included in health promotion programs and interventions aimed at improving older adults’ mental health.
Keywords : loneliness; depression; life satisfaction; aging.