Living with less: a qualitative study of economic insecurity and mental health among older adults

Objectives This study explored how older adults experience and make sense of economic insecurity and its impact on mental health, dignity, and everyday aging within a Middle Eastern sociocultural context.Methods A qualitative phenomenological design was adopted. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 community-dwelling older adults aged 60–80 years recruited from urban and rural areas through primary healthcare centers and social assistance offices. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach.Results Four interrelated themes captured participants’ lived experiences: (1) Living on the Edge—economic insecurity as a constant state of calculation and vigilance, where daily trade-offs governed food, health, and participation; (2) The Price of Dignity—self-reliance norms and shame constrained help-seeking and reinforced emotional strain; (3) Shrinking Worlds—financial strain narrowed social life and led to rationed healthcare and isolation; and (4) Threads of Resilience—faith, reciprocal support, and practical ingenuity restored pockets of agency and belonging. Together, these narratives show how scarcity becomes psychologically embodied, while resilience remains relational and strongly shaped by the availability of structural and community support.Conclusions Economic insecurity in old age extends beyond material deprivation to encompass moral, relational, and psychological dimensions that shape mental well-being.