Association of optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience with life engagement among middle-aged and older adults with severe climate anxiety: Sensitivity of a path model

Abstract

Background: Life engagement is an important proxy of successful ageing that may depend on psychological capital factors (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience), especially among older adults with severe climate anxiety. This study aimed to assess the association of optimism with life engagement and ascertain whether this relationship is mediated by self-efficacy and resilience among older adults with severe climate anxiety.

Methods: The data came from the Climate Psychology in Ageing Study 2024, a national survey involving 3994 middle-aged and older adults aged 50 years or over in Ghana. Multistage sampling was used to select the participants across Ghanaian cities, and the Climate Anxiety Scale was used to classify participants into severe, moderate, or mild climate anxiety. A path analysis (through structural equation modelling) was used to quantify the association. The sensitivity of the path model was investigated with data on moderate and mild climate anxiety.

Results: Optimism was associated with higher life engagement among older adults with severe and moderate climate anxiety but not among those with mild climate anxiety. Self-efficacy and resilience partially mediated the association of optimism with life engagement among older adults with severe and moderate climate anxiety but fully mediated this relationship among older adults with mild climate anxiety.

Conclusion: Psychological capital may be more strongly associated with life engagement among older adults with severe climate anxiety, and policy-driven human development programmes enhancing this capital can facilitate life engagement.

Keywords: Climate change psychology; Geriatric mental health; Ghana; Life engagement; Mediation; Older adults; Optimism; Psychological resilience; Resilience; Self-efficacy.