A Moderating Role of Psychological Distress in Life Satisfaction: A Secondary Analysis of Elderly Old Home Residents and Community Dwellers

Abstract Background The identification of psychosocial problems among the elderly is more critical than ever, as this population is projected to outnumber younger age groups in the coming decades. This continuation of the study extends prior research on the role of wisdom and resilience in predicting life satisfaction among older adults by introducing psychological distress as a moderating risk factor. Building upon earlier findings (Hayat, Khan, & Sadia, 2017), the study investigates whether psychological distress alters the strength of the mediated relationship between resilience, wisdom, and life satisfaction in elderly populations. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 212 older adults in Pakistan (Community dwelling = 124; old-age homes = 88). Standardized measures were used to assess wisdom, resilience, life satisfaction, and psychological distress, the latter encompassing subcomponents of depression, anxiety, and stress. Hierarchical regression and moderated mediation analyses were performed through PROCESS Macro in SPSS-27 (Model 59; Hayes, 2022). Results Consistent with prior findings, resilience fully mediated the relationship between wisdom and life satisfaction. Testing psychological distress as a moderator revealed that it did not significantly alter the direct or indirect effects of wisdom on life satisfaction. However, psychological distress significantly moderates the relationship between resilience and life satisfaction, with higher levels of distress weakening the positive impact of resilience. Additionally, sociodemographic variables such as place of residence, family structure, and gender exhibited significant associations with psychological outcomes. Conclusion The study reaffirms the robustness of the full mediation model linking wisdom, resilience, and life satisfaction among older adults while identifying psychological distress as a significant risk factor moderating the resilience and life satisfaction relationship. The findings underscore the needs for interventions that both strengthen resilience and reduce psychological distress, particularly tailored to the needs of elderly individuals in collectivistic and resource constrained societies.