Identifying Psychosocial Attributes Associated with Depressive Affect among Centenarians

Abstract

Objective: The current study examined psychosocial influences associated with depressive affect in centenarians. The identification of associations between subjective age, lifetime trauma exposure, social support, personality, perceived health, and depressive affect were explored. Methods: Participants consisted of (N = 154) community-dwelling centenarians (M = 101, SD = 1.71) residing in Oklahoma. Results: Results indicated lifetime trauma exposure and neuroticism were associated with depressive affect in centenarians. Post-hoc analyses revealed a difference between centenarians residing independently in private-dwelling versus those residing in long-term care facilities. Conclusion: Links between lifetime trauma exposure and depressive affect may be attributed to unresolved feelings of past life events. Furthermore, interplay between neuroticism and depressive affect may be attributed to stress-induced depletion.