Mindful Nonjudging and Resilience Moderate the Relationship between Income and Depression Among Older Adults

Socioeconomic status is inversely associated with a wide array of negative outcomes, including poorer physical and mental health, and positively associated with outcomes such as life satisfaction and psychological well-being. One SES factor, income, is related to increased risk for depression. Although these relationships are established, few studies have explored potential buffers. This study investigated the role of mindful nonjudging and resilience as moderators of the relationship between income and depression among a sample of older adults (N = 64). This study is a secondary cross-sectional analysis of a larger randomized-controlled trial of mindfulness training. Baseline self-report measures of mindful nonjudging, psychological resilience, depression, and income were analyzed in two moderation models for the present study. We found that both mindful nonjudging (p =.008) and resilience (p =.012) significantly moderated the relationship between income and depression, such that individuals with high mindfulness and resilience showed a significant relationship. For these individuals, as income increased depression decreased, whereas for individuals with average and low levels of mindfulness and resilience, depression remained elevated regardless of income. This study found evidence for mindful nonjudging and resilience as protective factors against depression once a certain threshold of income is met.