Meaning in Life and Its Relationship With Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Functioning: A Study of 1,042 Community-Dwelling Adults Across the Lifespan
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OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of presence and search for meaning in life with age, physical and mental well-being, and cognitive functioning across the adult lifespan. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 1,042 adults in the Successful AGing Evaluation (SAGE)-a multicohort study of adult community-dwelling residents of San Diego County, California-were analyzed. Presence of meaning ("Presence") and search for meaning in life ("Search") were assessed with the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Physical and mental well-being were measured using the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified was employed to screen for overall cognitive function. Study data were collected from January 2013 to June 2014. RESULTS: Presence of meaning exhibited an inverted U-shaped relationship whereas Search showed a U-shaped relationship with age (with Presence peaking and Search reaching the lowest point around age 60). Statistical modeling using generalized estimating equations revealed that physical well-being (SF-36 physical composite score) correlated negatively with age (P < .001) and positively with Presence (P < .001), and there was an age group x Presence interaction (P = .018), such that the relationship was stronger in subjects over age 60. Mental well-being correlated positively with age (P < .001) and Presence (P < .001) and negatively with Search (P = .002). Cognitive function correlated inversely with age (P < .001) and with Search (P < .001). Significant covariates of Presence and Search had small effect sizes, except for a medium effect size for satisfaction with life and Presence in adults over age 60 (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Presence and search for meaning in life are important for health and well-being, though the relationships differ in adults younger and older than 60 years. Better understanding of the longitudinal relationships of meaning of life with well-being is warranted to design interventions to increase meaning of life and improve health and functioning.
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A recent study reported that the presence of meaning showed an inverted U-shaped pattern across the life span, peaking around the age of 60 and decreasing subsequently as physical health declines.
“A recent study reported that the presence of meaning showed an inverted U‐shaped pattern across the life span, peaking around the age of 60 and decreasing subsequently as physical health declines 50 .”
From Mental health care for older adults: recent advances and new directions in clinical practice and research (2022) · cites this paper as [50]
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Hefti, R., Sunthareswarar, D., Wartenweiler, T., Koenig, H. G., & Ackert, M. (2025) · Research in Psychotherapy Psychopathology Process and Outcome · doi:10.4081/ripppo.2025.859 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Positive Transitions to Adulthood
López-Madrigal, C., Schwartz, S. J., & García‐Manglano, J. (2025) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009407427.005 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Gentry, M. M., Manjanatha, D., Patapoff, M. A., & Palmer, B. W. (2025) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-025-09547-5 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
How awareness of death enhances the sense of meaning in life in breast cancer patients
Li, W., She, T., Liu, R., Yang, D., & He, L. (2026) · Psycho-Oncologie · doi:10.18282/po5773 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Diferencias en sentido de la vida en pacientes diagnosticados con trastorno mental
García‐Alandete, J., Pérez, S., & Marco, J. H. (2021) · Universitas Psychologica · doi:10.11144/javeriana.upsy20.dmlp · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The Nature and Functions of the Meaningfulness of Life
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Emerging Role for Technology in Positive Psychiatry Interventions
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Do You Find Meaning in Your Life?
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The Meaning of Life and Self-Efficacy in Coping with Cancer
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Interpersonal Competence and Meaning in Life for University Students: A multi-group Model
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Does Perceiving the Authentic Self Affect the Meaning of Life?
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Prosocial and antisocial sensorimotor training on motor response inhibitionPreprint
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- Authors
- Aftab, A., Lee, E. E., Klaus, F., Daly, R., Wu, T.-C., Tu, X., Huege, S., & Jeste, D. V.
- Affiliations
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc
- Published
- 2019-12-10
- Volume
- 81
- Issue
- 1
- ISSN
- 0160-6689 (ISSN-L)
- 1555-2101
- PMC
- PMC7138140
- OpenAlex
- W2995458875
- Cited by
- 74
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 12.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001442)
- National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH119375, R01MH094151, T32MH019934)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- meaning in life, presence of meaning, search for meaning, physical well-being, psychological well-being, cognitive function, aging, age differences, life satisfaction, successful aging, community-dwelling adults
- MeSH terms
- Emotional Adjustment, Healthy Aging, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, California, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Status, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Personal Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult, Independent Living
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