The relationship between cognitive hardiness, explanatory style, and depression-happiness in post-retirement men and women

As Australia's population ages, the development of data-based psychological therapies for older people a major issue. However, although there have bee n many studies on the effects of ageing per se, and some data regarding the correlates of ability to withstand adversity in younger samples, little ha s been published on the particular relationship between those correlates an d the psychological wellbeing of older persons. The present: study investig ated the relationship between cognitive hardiness, explanatory style, and d epression-happiness via individual questionnaires with 129 men and women be tween the ages of 65 and 80 years. Results indicated that, while there Masa significant relationship between depression-happiness and pessimistic expl anatory style, the strangest predictor of depression-happiness was cognitiv e hardiness. Factor analysis of the questionnaire collected an cognitive ha rdiness indicated that confidence in one's ability to handle change and/or social interactions, belief in one's competence in general, and the receipt of personal meaning from one's social and political activities were the ma jor underlying factors. Implications and suggestions for development of eff ective psychological interventions and preventative programs with older peo ple are discussed.