Antecedents of Subjective Vitality and Depletion among older adults: the role of health and personality

Energy dynamics play a fundamental role in promoting well-being and quality of life among older adults. To study this aspect, Self-Determination Theory (SDT) recently proposed a dual-process model based on two distinct, yet related, constructs: Subjective Vitality and Subjective Depletion. However, which individual characteristics can foster or hinder subjective energy dynamics in older adults remains unexplored. The aim of the present study is to understand how physical and mental health and personality traits are associated with Subjective Vitality and Subjective Depletion. A sample of 343 older adults from the USA (Mage = 71.86, SDage = 5.46) completed the Subjective Vitality and Depletion Scale, the Big Five Inventory 2 – Extra Short Form, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. The Latent Regression Model revealed a significant positive association of Extraversion, Physical Health, and Mental Health with Subjective Vitality. Conversely, Conscientiousness, Physical Health, and Mental Health showed a negative association with Subjective Depletion, whereas Neuroticism was positively associated. Instead, Extroversion didn’t show any correlation with Subjective Depletion. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding of the individual characteristics that influence subjective energy dynamics in older adults. While Subjective Vitality and Depletion showed similar paths of significant and non-significant association with the independent variables, Extraversion appears to be associated only with Subjective Vitality but not with Subjective Depletion, suggesting that this personality trait plays a role in enhancing perceived energy but not in its depletion. These insights may guide the development of targeted preventive interventions to improve health and wellbeing in this population.