The Relationship Between the Level of Satisfaction of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Loneliness, Happiness and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Individuals.

AIMS

To examine the relationship between the level of satisfaction of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and loneliness, happiness and life satisfaction in elderly individuals.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study was conducted with the elderly in Turkey.

METHOD

Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Assessment Form, UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form, Oxford Happiness Scale Short Form and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The STROBE checklist was used to guide the presentation of this study.

RESULTS

Participants generally exhibited a significant relationship between the satisfaction levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and indicators of mental well-being such as loneliness, happiness and life satisfaction. Key factors influencing the satisfaction of needs included educational level, marital status, economic status and living with a spouse. Moreover, higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness positively impacted overall needs satisfaction, whereas loneliness showed a negative relationship. These findings emphasise the interconnectedness of socio-demographic and psychological factors in shaping well-being in elderly individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that if the level of meeting the needs of the elderly is high, their loneliness decreases and their happiness and life satisfaction increase. Improving the socioeconomic levels of the elderly affects their health. Therefore, it is important for nurses to take a more active role in the development of policies to improve the health of the elderly.

PUBLIC OR PATIENT CONTRIBUTION

By examining the effects of different levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs on loneliness, happiness and life satisfaction of elderly individuals, determining important data to improve their psychological and emotional well-being contributes to the development of social support systems and policies that will improve the quality of life of the elderly in society.