Purpose in Life Living with Others As a Protective Factor during Economic Recession

Background:

Recession adds negative impacts on middle-aged Americans in various ways, involving economical, psychological, and social aspects, in addition to their midlife crisis. Substantial burden on career development and family responsibilities can deteriorate their financial and emotional distress during times of financial uncertainty. Based on Ryff’s psychological wellbeing model, the concept of purpose in life with others indicating a sense that one’s life has meaning, direction, and goals can serve as a protective factor for middle-aged adults during Recession by emphasizing not just on individual fulfillment, but on a socially embedded purpose, such as caregiving roles, community involvement, or feeling useful in the lives of others. This study discusses how purpose in life with others can cultivate resilience and enhance mental health during times of economic hardship.

Methods:

Using data from MIDUS 3, this study analyzed a subsample of 1,087 community-dwelling adults aged 50–64 who answered their difficult experiences during the recession. Latent class analysis identified distinct patterns of recession-related difficulties across 26 indicators, including employment status, housing, debt, and many other environments. Mental wellbeing was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale. Multiple regression analyses examined the association between recession experience patterns and mental health, and the moderating effect of the purpose of life with others—while controlling for demographic, including socioeconomic, and physical health covariates.

Results:

Five recession experience profiles emerged: most difficulties (9.7%), job transitions (13.4%), financial hardships (16.5%), burdensome homebuying with reduced debts (11.5%), and minimal challenges (48.9%). Before the factor of purpose in life with others entered in the analysis model, mental wellbeing was shown in individuals who were middle-aged, married, with high income, reporting their physical health great, and not experiencing financial difficulty during Recession. With the purpose in life with others in the interaction model, however, no difference in mental health status showed between those with and without financial difficulty. Interestingly, individuals who needed to move their jobs even showed much improvement in their mental wellbeing (b=0.080, p=0.003).

Conclusions:

This study results demonstrate that middle-aged adults who maintain the sense of purpose, particularly one grounded in social relationships and responsibilities are better equipped to reinterpret economic adversity from an emotionally resilient lens and promote their mental health by anchoring themselves in meaning-making, connection, and continued social contribution. As social work research aims to lead transformative change, social work policy and practice will need to recognize and reinforce this dimension of wellbeing as the means to shape holistic, resilience-oriented interventions at the individual, community, and policy levels.