MINDFULNESS, SUCCESSFUL AGING AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

Abstract The rapid increase in the global aging population has raised concerns about maintaining well-being in older adults. Successful aging, which encompasses physical health, cognitive function, and emotional stability, is crucial for life satisfaction. Mindfulness has been proposed as a potential intervention to enhance well-being, but its specific impact on successful aging and life satisfaction remains underexplored, particularly in the Pakistani context. This study aims to examine the relationship between mindfulness, successful aging, and life satisfaction among older adults in Pakistan. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used, with data collected from 300 older adults aged 50 and above in Pakistan. Participants were selected through purposive sampling from various community settings. Standardized self-report measures were used to assess mindfulness using Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) (Brown and Ryan, 2003), successful aging with Successful Aging Scale (SAS) (Hilton et al. 2012), and life satisfaction with Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), (Diener et al., 1985). Data was analyzed during independent sample t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, and linear regression in SPSS. The findings revealed a positive correlation between mindfulness and both successful aging (r = 0.362, p < .001) and life satisfaction (r = 0.258, p < .001), suggesting that higher mindfulness was associated with higher perceived successful aging and life satisfaction. However, successful aging was positively correlated with life satisfaction (r=0.415, p<.001), indicating that individuals who perceived themselves as aging successfully reported greater life satisfaction. Regression analysis showed that successful aging significantly predicted life satisfaction (β=0.370, p<.001), while mindfulness had a smaller but significant predictive effect (β = 0.124, p = .028). Future research should employ longitudinal designs, structured mindfulness interventions, and cross-cultural comparisons to further explore these complex relationships.