Wisdom, Perceived Stress, and Perceived Social Support as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being among Pensioners

Abstract

The psychological well-being of older adults has become an important public health concern, particularly in developing countries where retirement is often accompanied by financial, social, and health-related challenges. This study examined the relationships among wisdom, perceived stress, perceived social support, and psychological well-being among Pakistani elderly pensioners and investigated their predictive contributions to psychological well-being. A cross-sectional correlational research design was employed. Data were collected from 132 pensioners (92 males and 40 females) residing in Islamabad and Rawalpindi using the Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and independent samples t-test were performed. The findings revealed psychological well-being was positively associated with wisdom and negatively associated with perceived stress, whereas perceived social support was not significantly related to psychological well-being. Multiple regression analysis indicated that perceived stress was the only significant independent predictor of psychological well-being after controlling for wisdom and perceived social support. No significant gender differences were observed across the study variables. The findings highlight the central role of perceived stress in shaping psychological well-being among pensioners and underscore the importance of stress management interventions and mental health services in promoting healthy ageing and improving the quality of life of older adults in Pakistan.