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The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the...
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The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the Promotion of Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 3380

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fabio Lucidi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: sport psychology; social cognitive model; self-determination theory; theory of planned behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. James Dawe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: psychometrics; health psychology; aging; personality assessment; intelligence assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to significant advances in the field of medicine, together with a decline in birth rates, we are witnessing substantial growth in the global population of older adults (i.e., individuals over 65 years old), which is projected to reach 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050. This demographic shift poses a major challenge in developed countries from an economic, health, and social perspective. To mitigate the impact of this growth on societies and improve the quality of life for older adults, it is essential to develop new multidimensional strategies that promote their health and well-being. Aging is a complex and multifaceted process that offers new opportunities but is also accompanied by physical and psychological changes.

This Special Issue aims to gather new evidence to better understand how emerging technologies (e.g., virtual reality), psychological factors (e.g., vitality), and environmental factors (e.g., spending time in green spaces) can contribute to the promotion of healthy and active aging while reducing the impact of age-related risk factors. Such knowledge can support health professionals and organizations in developing effective guidelines and preventive interventions that promote the health and quality of life of older adults. Additionally, it is crucial to investigate how the unique challenges faced by older adults belonging to minority groups (e.g., immigrants or LGBTQ+) influence their aging process.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses summarizing the impact of new technologies, psychological factors, and environmental factors on the health and well-being of older adults;
  • The development of new tools or the validation of existing ones to assess mental and physical health, well-being, and the psychological factors involved in the aging process;
  • Innovative interventions aimed at promoting the psychological and physical health and well-being of older adults;
  • Examination of the role of technology in enhancing older adults’ psychological and physical health and well-being;
  • Examination of how the environment contributes to the promotion of older adults’ psychological and physical health and well-being;
  • Analyses of the impact of cultural and societal factors on older adult’s psychological health and well-being;
  • The identification of social and psychological factors influencing the psychological health and well-being of older adults belonging to minority groups (e.g., immigrants or LGBTQ+).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Lucidi
Guest Editor

Dr. James Dawe
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aging
  • older adults
  • well-being
  • quality of life
  • psychological health
  • physical health
  • technologies
  • immigration
  • LGBQ+
  • minorities

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 944 KB  
Article
Dimensions of Hope as Mediators Between Negative Events and Recovery of Well-Being in Adults and Elderly
by Santo Di Nuovo, Caterina Ugolini, Rita Zarbo and Paola Magnano
Healthcare 2025, 13(24), 3259; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13243259 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 26
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Hope plays an important role in coping with difficulties and is predictive of resilience, improving the skills necessary to sustain life plans and well-being, and overcoming stressful situations in adulthood and especially in older age adults. We hypothesised that the dimensions of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Hope plays an important role in coping with difficulties and is predictive of resilience, improving the skills necessary to sustain life plans and well-being, and overcoming stressful situations in adulthood and especially in older age adults. We hypothesised that the dimensions of hope, including spirituality, are connected to personal, educational, and contextual conditions, and play a mediating role in fostering resilience and well-being after stressful events; this mediating role might differ in adulthood and among the elderly. Methods: The sample consisted of 100 adults without severe pathologies and living in their own homes, aged between 50 and 86 years (M = 66.08; SD = 8.48). They completed an online survey that included the Stress Event scale, the Comprehensive State Hope Scale, the Resilience Scale for Adults, and the Well-being Profile. The data were analysed using SPSS and JAMOVI software, applying the following statistical tests: t-test, ANOVA and mediational model. Results: Stressful events influence resilience and well-being differently in adulthood and old age, with non-significant differences due to gender and living conditions. Hope mediates between stress resulting from negative life events and resilience and well-being, but this mediation involves different hope components for adults (trust) and older adults (self-realisation and perception of social support in interpersonal relationships). Spirituality is a non-significant mediator in both age stages. Conclusions: Appropriate psychological and psychosocial supports are needed to enhance the mediating potential of hope between stressful events and resilience. The results of our study help clarify which components of hope specifically promote resilience in different conditions of normal old age, differentiating them from those more beneficial for adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the Promotion of Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being)
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19 pages, 1142 KB  
Article
Cognitive Reserve as a Protective Factor for Visuospatial Ability in Healthy Aging
by Marika Mauti, Elena Allegretti and Raffaella I. Rumiati
Healthcare 2025, 13(23), 3162; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13233162 - 3 Dec 2025
Viewed by 186
Abstract
Background: Cognitive Reserve (CR) is a theoretical construct developed to explain individual differences in resilience to age-related cognitive decline. Empirical evidence supports its positive role across multiple cognitive domains. However, behavioral research has primarily focused on areas either vulnerable to aging, such [...] Read more.
Background: Cognitive Reserve (CR) is a theoretical construct developed to explain individual differences in resilience to age-related cognitive decline. Empirical evidence supports its positive role across multiple cognitive domains. However, behavioral research has primarily focused on areas either vulnerable to aging, such as memory, or relatively preserved, such as language. In contrast, the relationship between CR and task-specific performance in domains like visuospatial processing—a domain critical for everyday functioning—remains underexplored. This study investigates whether CR, as measured by the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire (CRIq), predicts performance in mental rotation tasks in healthy older adults. Methods: Participants (age 55–85) completed two tasks: (1) a hand laterality task, requiring judgments about whether a rotated hand image (palm or back view) was left or right; and (2) a letter-congruency task, in which participants determined whether simultaneously presented rotated letters were identical or mirror-reversed. Results: Generalized and linear mixed-effects models revealed a protective effect of cognitive reserve, with higher CRIq scores significantly predicting greater accuracy in both tasks. Efficiency benefits (i.e., shorter reaction times) were evident mainly in the easiest conditions, suggesting that CR supports processing resources more effectively under moderate rather than maximal task demands. This pattern indicates that cognitive reserve does not uniformly enhance performance but instead modulates the allocation of cognitive resources in a context-dependent manner. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a modulatory role of CR on visuospatial abilities in healthy older adults. These findings open new avenues for investigating how CR may differentially affect performance across a broader spectrum of cognitive functions, including attention, executive control, and spatial processing. A better understanding of these mechanisms could inform targeted cognitive interventions to strengthen resilience and promote successful aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the Promotion of Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being)
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17 pages, 1171 KB  
Article
Associations Between Personal Views of Aging and Quality of Life in Midlife and Older Age: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience
by Enrico Sella, Elena Carbone and Erika Borella
Healthcare 2025, 13(22), 2906; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13222906 - 14 Nov 2025
Viewed by 530
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Ensuring quality of life (QoL) is a key aspect of promoting healthy aging. This cross-sectional study investigated whether and to what extent personal views of aging (VoA)—individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, and expectations regarding their own aging—and psychological resilience are associated with QoL [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Ensuring quality of life (QoL) is a key aspect of promoting healthy aging. This cross-sectional study investigated whether and to what extent personal views of aging (VoA)—individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, and expectations regarding their own aging—and psychological resilience are associated with QoL and its domains in middle-aged and older adults. Methods: A sample of 224 individuals (46–85 years) was recruited. All participants reported their felt age (FA) and completed the Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) questionnaire, assessing awareness of age-related gains (AARC-Gains) and losses (AARC-Losses). They also completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale for psychological resilience. Multiple regressions and path analyses were run to examine the associations among personal VoA, psychological resilience, and QoL. Results: Regression analyses showed that AARC-Gains and AARC-Losses (but not FA) predicted overall QoL, with AARC-Losses and, to some extent, FA also explaining specific QoL domains. Resilience also emerged as a significant positive predictor for overall QoL and its psychological and environmental domains. Path analyses confirmed and extended the role of personal VoA and resilience on QoL. Resilience directly influenced QoL and its domains, in turn mediating the effects of personal VoA, depending on the specific facets of VoA and the QoL domains examined. Conclusions: These findings suggest that promoting positive/correct personal views of aging and fostering psychological resilience may be promising healthcare strategies for enhancing QoL in adulthood into older age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the Promotion of Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being)
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18 pages, 1323 KB  
Article
When Age Matters: How Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy in Managing Negative Emotions Can Mitigate the Effects of Emotional Inertia for Younger Workers
by Simone Tavolucci, Lorenzo Filosa, Valentina Sommovigo, Valentina Rosa, Fabio Alivernini, Roberto Baiocco, Anna Borghi, Andrea Chirico, Chiara Fini, Tommaso Palombi, Jessica Pistella, Fabio Lucidi and Guido Alessandri
Healthcare 2025, 13(16), 2047; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13162047 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1149
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Negative emotional inertia describes the extent to which a prior emotional state can predict the subsequent one, and it is considered a significant indicator of psychological maladjustment that has several negative consequences in the workplace. The current study tested a theoretical [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Negative emotional inertia describes the extent to which a prior emotional state can predict the subsequent one, and it is considered a significant indicator of psychological maladjustment that has several negative consequences in the workplace. The current study tested a theoretical model in which the inertia of negative emotions is moderated by regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs (RESE) in managing negative affects across workers of different ages. Specifically, we hypothesized that RESE moderates the relation between negative emotions at consecutive time points, reducing their persistence, and that age would influence this relation, with older workers relying less on this resource than younger ones. Methods: Participants were 221 workers (57.8% females) exposed to social work stressors who reported their affectivity every evening for 31 consecutive days. We analyzed the data using dynamic structural equation models (DSEM), which enable examining within-person time series trends while estimating individual differences therein. Results/Conclusions: In line with our predictions, results suggest that emotional self-efficacy is a key personal resource that might be able to buffer individuals from emotional stasis, a resource primarily useful for younger workers who rely less on actual emotional regulation expertise than older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the Promotion of Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being)
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Review

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21 pages, 995 KB  
Review
Ambiguous Loss Among Aging Migrants: A Concept Analysis- and Nursing Care-Oriented Model
by Areej AL-Hamad, Yasin M. Yasin, Lujain Yasin, Andy Zhang and Sarah Ahmed
Healthcare 2025, 13(20), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202606 - 16 Oct 2025
Viewed by 974
Abstract
Introduction: Ambiguous loss is a profound yet underexplored phenomenon in the lives of aging migrants. Older adults who have experienced migration often face disruptions to their sense of belonging, identity, and continuity across borders. These losses are compounded by aging, health challenges, and [...] Read more.
Introduction: Ambiguous loss is a profound yet underexplored phenomenon in the lives of aging migrants. Older adults who have experienced migration often face disruptions to their sense of belonging, identity, and continuity across borders. These losses are compounded by aging, health challenges, and social isolation. Despite its significance, ambiguous loss among aging migrants has not been conceptually analyzed in depth, limiting the development of culturally responsive care practices. Aim: This concept analysis aimed to identify the defining attributes of ambiguous loss among aging migrants and to develop a conceptual definition that enhances our understanding of the phenomenon and informs future research and practice. Method: Walker and Avant’s eight-step concept analysis framework was applied to examine the concept of ambiguous loss in the context of aging migrants. A systematic keyword search was conducted across four databases (CINAHL, Medline, SCOPUS, PsycINFO), Google Scholar, and relevant gray literature, covering the years of 2010–2024. Covidence software supported the screening process. From 367 records identified, 146 underwent full-text review, and 74 met inclusion criteria. The analysis drew on literature synthesis, case exemplars, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. This review followed PRISMA (2020) reporting guidelines. Results: Four defining attributes of ambiguous loss among aging migrants were identified: (a) physical, social, and emotional loss; (b) displacement and loss of homeland; (c) erosion of social identity and agency; and (d) cultural and transnational bereavement. A conceptual definition emerged, describing ambiguous loss as a multifaceted experience of disconnection, intensified by aging, illness, economic hardship, and social isolation. The analysis also highlighted antecedents such as forced migration and health decline, as well as consequences including diminished well-being, resilience challenges, and barriers to integration. Conclusions: Ambiguous loss among aging migrants is a complex construct encompassing intertwined physical, social, and cultural dimensions of loss. This conceptual clarity provides a foundation for developing culturally responsive care models that promote adaptation, resilience, and social inclusion among older migrants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Psychological, Environmental, and Social Factors in the Promotion of Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being)
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