Age differences in future time perspective, social goals, and psychological symptoms of Filipino adults in the time of the COVID-19

• Main Author: Casis, Shiela Grace M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: Time perspective; Anxiety; Depression in old age; COVID-19 (Disease); Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_psych/20; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=etdm_psych
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study examined the serial mediating role of future time perspective (FTP) and social goals between age and psychological symptoms among Filipino adults. A total of 804 adults aged 18 to 86 years completed measures of FTP, social goals, anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 related anxiety using online questionnaires. The serial mediation analysis showed significant direct and indirect effects with the FTP as the mediator, but all paths related to socials goals did not and thus, the serial model was reduced into a simple mediation model with the FTP as the only mediator. The results showed that the FTP significantly mediated the relationship between age and psychological symptoms. Age significantly predicted lower psychological symptom levels. An expansive FTP decreases anxiety and depression but the older adults with a limited FTP had fewer symptoms. This indicates that while FTP is a significant mediator, its indirect effect on psychological symptoms is smaller compared with age. This finding is further discussed considering other developmental factors that may explain age differences in psychological symptoms other than the FTP. In addition, the age comparisons showed that older adults reported more limited FTP but better psychological functioning while the younger adults had the highest prevalence rate of anxiety and depression (60%) and COVID-19 related anxiety. Overall, the results extend previous findings on the associations between age, FTP, and psychological symptoms in the Filipino context during an extraordinary time and point implications for mental health awareness and interventions. Keywords: FTP, anxiety, depression, COVID-19, psychological symptoms