Human Ecology Research

The Korean Home Economics Association (대한가정학회)
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The Elderly's Self-Esteem and View of the Afterlife: Mediating Effects of Positive Satisfaction and the Level of Death Preparation

노인의 자아존중감과 내세관에 관한 연구: 긍정적 만족감 및 죽음준비도의 매개효과를 중심으로

  • Ha, Choonkwang (Department of Social Welfare, Kyungnam University) ;
  • Kim, Hyosoon (Department of Child Welfare, Sejong Cyber University)
  • 하춘광 (경남대학교 사회복지학과) ;
  • 김효순 (세종사이버대학교 아동복지학과)
  • Received : 2013.12.02
  • Accepted : 2014.02.06
  • Published : 2014.08.30
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and the view of the afterlife of the elderly by focusing on mediating effects of positive satisfaction and death preparation. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of the rest of life and contributes as exploratory research toward strengthening the psychological and emotional well-being of the elderly. After using a structural equation model, we found that self-esteem influenced their view of the afterlife through mediating effects such as positive satisfaction and the level of death preparation. The results of this study will present not only in recovering from death anxiety through an understanding of the level of death preparation and, the view of the afterlife but also in the development of practical intervention materials, which can be useful in social work for the elderly. The elderly's view of the afterlife should be strengthened according to the educational programs on death preparation that deal with the existence of the afterlife and life after death. However, this study has the limitation that only people living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province and not in the other areas of the country were considered in this research. Nevertheless, within its limitation, this study's findings are promising, as they contribute to our understanding of the view of life and death of the elderly; further, the study has academic meaning with respect to helping the elderly successfully carry out their life development tasks and significantly prepare for the rest of their life.

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