Childhood psychological maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and death obsession in older adults: exploring the moderating effect of meaning in life.

OBJECTIVES

The present study investigated a moderated mediation model in which depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and death obsession, with meaning in life moderating both components of the indirect pathway.

METHOD: The sample for the present study consisted of 904 older adults (50.2% women), aged between 65 and 91 years (Mage= 71.23, SD = 5.72), residing in an urban region of Türkiye. Self-report measures assessing childhood psychological maltreatment, depressive symptoms, death obsession, and meaning in life were administered. Data were analyzed using moderated mediation analysis.

RESULTS

Results indicated that childhood psychological maltreatment was positively associated with both depressive symptoms and death obsession. Furthermore, depressive symptoms significantly mediated the link between early maltreating experiences and death-related cognitive preoccupations. Critically, meaning in life moderated both the association between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms and the pathway from depressive symptoms to death obsession. These associations weakened as perceived meaning in life increased, suggesting a protective buffering effect on the indirect effect.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the enduring psychological consequences of early relational maltreatment and emphasize the importance of fostering existential resources such as life meaning to mitigate depressive and death-related vulnerabilities in older adulthood.