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Identifying significant correlates of purpose in life in older US military veterans: results from the national health and resilience in veterans study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2023

Ian C. Fischer Open the ORCID record for Ian C. Fischer [Opens in a new window] ,
David B. Feldman ,
Jack Tsai ,
Ilan Harpaz-Rotem ,
Katherine A. Lucas ,
Stefan E. Schulenberg  and
Robert H. Pietrzak
Ian C. Fischer*
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
David B. Feldman
Affiliation:
Department of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Jack Tsai
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA National Center on Homelessness among Veterans, Homeless Programs Office, Tampa, FL, USA School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Katherine A. Lucas
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA Clinical-Disaster Research Center, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
Stefan E. Schulenberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA Clinical-Disaster Research Center, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
Robert H. Pietrzak
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ian C. Fischer, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA. Email: ian.fischer@va.gov
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Abstract

Objective:

Perceived purpose in life (PIL) has been linked to a broad range of adverse physical, mental, and cognitive outcomes. However, limited research has examined factors associated with PIL that can be targeted in prevention and treatment efforts in aging populations at heightened risk of adverse outcomes. Using data from predominantly older US veterans, we sought to identify important correlates of PIL.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data were analyzed from the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 4069 US military veterans (Mage = 62.2). Elastic net and relative importance analyses were conducted to evaluate sociodemographic, military, health, and psychosocial variables that were strongly associated with PIL.

Results:

Of the 39 variables entered into an elastic net analysis, 10 were identified as significant correlates of PIL. In order of magnitude, these were resilience (18.7% relative variance explained [RVE]), optimism (12.1%), depressive symptoms (11.3%), community integration (10.7%), gratitude (10.2%), loneliness (9.8%), received social support (8.6%), conscientiousness (8.5%), openness to experience (5.4%), and intrinsic religiosity (4.7%).

Conclusions:

Several modifiable psychosocial factors emerged as significant correlates of PIL in US military veterans. Interventions designed to target these factors may help increase PIL and mitigate risk for adverse health outcomes in this population.

Keywords

agingresilience
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 35 , Special Issue 10: Issue Theme: Aging and Well-Being , October 2023 , pp. 560 - 565
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2023

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