International Journal of Education and Psychological Research

(Print and Online Peer Reviewed Journal)


Print - ISSN: 2349 - 0853
e - ISSN: 2279 - 0179

VOLUME 8 - ISSUE 2

(June 2019)

Effect of Marital Status on Self Efficacy and Mental Health in Older Adults


Authors: Medha Tripathi[1]

Pages: 120-123

Abstract:

Ageing is an inevitable aspect of life. Retirement is a period of life which brings several changes in a person's life. Some of them are positive, while others are negative. One such change is the lack of companionship. Presence of a spouse affects not only the social aspect of an individual's life, but it also affects one's confidence in oneself as well as one's health. The present study aimed at assessing the effect of marital status on self-efficacy and mental health in older adults. The study also aimed at studying the relationship between self-efficacy and mental health in the two groups. The study was conducted on 116 retired males and females with the mean age of 63.93(±1.83) years (age range 61-70 years). Participants were measured on the measures of general perceived self-efficacy and mental health. The results showed that there exists a significant difference in the level of mental health of the older population living with spouse and living without a spouse. No significant difference was found in the level of self-efficacy of older people. The correlational analysis shows that there exists a positive relationship between selfefficacy and the mental health of the elderly. However, the association is not found significant for both groups. Age-related losses affect a person's ability to maintain relationships and independence, which in turn may lead to lesser self-efficacy and higher incidence of mental health problems. On the other hand, self-efficacious belief helps in maintaining better mental health.