Reasons for Living and Coping Abilities among Older Adults

Abstract

Older adults have successfully resisted inclinations to commit suicide; however, little research has focused on their ability to cope or their reasons for living. In the present study, seventy-nine (fifty-five women, twenty-two men, two unknown) older adults (M = 60.6 years) recruited from churches, retirement groups (n = 22), and relatives of college psychology students (n = 57), completed the Reasons for Living and the Cope inventories. Overall coping was significantly positively correlated with total reasons for living, r(78) = .19, p < .05, although the low correlation suggests that the constructs are moderately unique. Further, coping was positively correlated with two RFL subscales, Survival and Coping Beliefs, r(78) = .27, p < .01, and Child-Related Concerns, r(78) = .28, p < .01. Women were higher than men in total reasons for living, t(75) = 2.16, p < .05, but not significantly different in coping abilities. Older women may underrate their ability to cope. An implication is that suicide prevention strategies should target men and bolster their cognitive deterrents to suicide.