The Prediction of Psychological Well-being Based on Death Anxiety and Self-compassion in the Elderly

Introduction: Elderly is a critical period in human life that poses high risk and problems to aged people. However, a high psychological well-being enables elderly people to deal with these problems and disorientations. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between selfcompassion and death anxiety with psychological well-being in the elderly. Method: The present study is a descriptive correlational research conducted on old men in a part time retirement home in Kermanshah. A nonrandom and volunteer sample of 300 elderly people from the Mehregan part-time retirement home in Kermanshah (Iran) participated in the study. To collect data, Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Questionnaire (1989), Short Self-Compassion Forms of Raes et al. (2011), and Templer’s Death Anxiety (1970) were used. Collected data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and the stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between selfcompassion and psychological well-being (r = 0.61) while there is a negative significant relationship between psychological well-being and death anxiety (r = -0.20). The results of multiple regression analysis using stepwise method showed that over-identified, self-kindness, isolation, mindfulness, death anxiety, and self-judgment, in the order of their importance, together are capable of predicting 57% of the changes in psychological well-being. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, enhancing self-compassion and elaboration and implementation of strategies to reduce the anxiety of death can enhance the psychological well-being of the elderly, especially in the centers which keep the elderly.