Factor Structure, Evolution, and Predictive Power of Emotional Competencies on Physical and Emotional Health in the Elderly

Abstract

Objective: Emotional competence (EC) has been found to be an important predictor of individuals’ health. While it is well known that EC predicts important outcomes in young adults, its importance is less clear in the elderly. We aimed to address this gap: Is the structure of EC the same in older as in younger adults? How do EC evolve between 50 and 80 years old? Does the predictive power of EC, regarding physical and emotional adjustment, increase or decrease with age? Method: A total of 6,688 participants filled subjective health and EC questionnaires. We gathered their medication consumption over the last 11 years, from the database of health insurance. Results: While the structure of ECs remains stable in older adults, it generally declines as people get older, except for emotion regulation, which improves with age. Results also show that EC predicts both physical and emotional health. Discussion: These results suggest that the development of specific interventions to improve EC may be useful for the elderly.