The Mediator Role of Depression in the Successful Aging and Death Anxiety in Middle-Aged and Older People With Hypertension

• DOI: 10.1177/21582440251322602
• Publication Date: 2025-03-26T22:39:32Z
• Authors: Xiaoping Li; Lu Sun; Liu Yang; Congzhi Wang; Ting Yuan; Huanhuan Wei; Yunxiao Lei; Jing Li; Mingming Liu; Dongmei Zhang; Ying Hua; Haiyang Liu; Lin Zhang

This study aimed to examine whether depression mediated the association between successful aging (SA) and death anxiety (DA) in middle-aged and older people with hypertension. A survey design ( N = 298) assessed demographic variables associated with participants (sex, age, place of residence, cigarette smoking, alcohol habits, physical activity, social activity, chronic medical illness burden), the Successful Aging Inventory (SAI), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (T-DAS). Pearson Correlation Analysis and Regression analysis were performed in the data analysis. In addition, AMOS was used to analyze the mediator variable effects. Results indicated a negative correlation between SA and depression ( r = −.199, p < .01), while a positive correlation was observed between depression and DA ( r = .277, p < .01). Regression analysis reported that SA and depression significantly positively predicted DA ( F = 4.013, R 2 = .111, p < .01). the structural equation model showed that depression mediated the effect of SA on DA (χ 2 / df = 3.055, p < .01, RMSEA = 0.083, CFI = 0.960, IFI = 0.961, GFI = 0.952, PGFI = 0.508, PNFI = 0.628, PCFI = 0.640). It was determined that depression mediated the association between SA and DA. The study suggests that prevention and control of depression can decrease death anxiety in middle-aged and older people with hypertension.