The mediating role of positive and negative emotions in the associations of forgiveness and meaning in life with psychological well-being among older adults: A cross-sectional study

With the rapid growth of the older adult population and the psychological challenges associated with aging, identifying factors associated with psychological well-being has become increasingly important. This cross-sectional study examined the mediating roles of positive and negative emotions in the associations of forgiveness and meaning in life with psychological well-being among 200 older adults aged 60 years and older selected through two-stage stratified cluster random sampling from healthcare centers in Amol, Iran, in 2023. Data were collected using the Psychological Well-being Scale, Interpersonal Forgiveness Inventory, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and analyzed using SPSS version 22 and structural equation modeling in AMOS version 24. Forgiveness showed significant direct (β = 0.212, p = .047) and indirect (β = 0.257, 95% CI: 0.04–0.46, p = .018) associations with psychological well-being through positive and negative emotions. Meaning in life also demonstrated significant direct (β = 0.223, p = .040) and indirect (β = 0.209, 95% CI: 0.04–0.37, p = .043) associations. The structural model showed good fit. These findings suggest that positive and negative emotions may mediate the associations of forgiveness and meaning in life with psychological well-being. Interventions that promote forgiveness, meaning in life, and adaptive emotional experiences may help enhance psychological well-being among older adults.