Ageism and loneliness are growing mental health concerns among older adults, especially retirees, due to the significant life transition post-retirement. These issues often coexist, compounding their negative effects on mental well-being. Resilience, a psychological resource, can mitigate these adverse impacts, yet the direct effects of ageism and loneliness on retirees' mental well-being, as well as the mediating role of resilience, remain underexplored. This study examines how ageism and loneliness affect retirees' mental well-being and investigates resilience as a coping mechanism. By using empirical research findings, conceptualization was done among study constructs, and based on that, four hypotheses were postulated. Using a deductive approach and quantitative methodology, a validated questionnaire was distributed among a convenience sample of 300 retirees across 25 administrative districts in Sri Lanka. Data analysis through PLS-SEM revealed that ageism and loneliness have a direct negative impact on retirees' mental well-being. Moreover, resilience mediates this relationship, reducing the adverse effects of ageism and loneliness by serving as a safeguard. Higher resilience enables retirees to better manage these challenges, underscoring its protective role. The findings emphasize the importance of fostering resilience to safeguard retirees’ mental health in the face of ageism and loneliness. Targeted interventions and policies should aim to enhance resilience and reduce the prevalence of these issues in ageing societies. However, the study’s cross-sectional design limits insights into changes over time. Future research should adopt a longitudinal approach to better understand the dynamic relationships among ageism, loneliness, resilience, and mental well-being.

Authors:
Isuru Chandradasa, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Mayuri Atapattu, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

About the Presenter(s)
Isuru Chandradasa is a Lecturer in the Department of HRM, University of Colombo. He holds a BBA (Honors) degree in HRMt from University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, and a Master of Science in Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/isuru-chandradasa-372a00243/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Isuru-Chandradasa

Additional website of interest
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=en&authuser=2&user=KDZ24c4AAAAJ

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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