Prospective associations between unforgiveness and physical health and positive mediating mechanisms in a nationally representative sample of older adults

Objective: This study examined the prospective association between unforgiveness and self-reported physical health and potential positive psychological mediators of this association.

Design: Participants were a national sample of 1024 USA’s adults of ages 66 years and older. Data were collected at two time points separated by three years.

Main Outcome Measures: Measures of trait unforgiveness, self-rated physical health, socio-demographics, health behaviours and positive psychological traits (e.g. life satisfaction, self-esteem) were included in a comprehensive survey known as the ‘Religion, Aging, and Health Survey.’

Results: The results indicated that unforgiveness was prospectively associated with declines in self-reported physical health three years later, and poor initial self-reported health status did not predict increases in unforgiveness across time. Furthermore, the prospective association of unforgiveness with self-reported health was mediated by a latent positive psychological traits variable.

Conclusion: These results confirm cross-sectional findings suggesting that unforgiveness is related to health. The present study also suggests that unforgiveness has a prospective, but not reciprocal, association with self-reported physical health. Unforgiveness may have its association with self-reported physical health through its interruption of other positive traits that typically confer health benefits.